Haut Espoir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Franschhoek, South Africa, 2007

It’s a real treat to be able to offer the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon from Haut Espoir alongside the 2008 which we introduced to our range last year. The earlier vintage spent longer in oak, 33 months as opposed to 22, and when I tried them side by side with Rob Armstrong (the owner) it was clear he had made the right decision in releasing the 2008 first.

The 2007 vintage is still incredibly youthful, having tried it for the second time just a week ago at the farm in Franschhoek (January 2019). It’s tight, dense and concentrated akin to a young Saint-Julien from an excellent vintage. The cassis character is still ripe, yet to develop any marinated notes like the 2004 we tried, and its beautifully complemented by aromas of freshly sharpened pencil lead. This is almost irresistible now but if you can manage to keep your hands off it will last for decades.