Yardstick Stellenbosch À Gauche Sélection Traditionnelle 2022

South African Excellence!

 

Winemaker Adam Mason himself says about his wine: “My goal was to capture the ripeness of the Cape summer while staying true to the essence and refined texture of the classic Bordeaux varieties.” He has certainly succeeded with flying colors. What an impressive and elegant red wine, with notes of cassis, plum, and cedar, a ripe, creamy, and powerful flavor, and an endless finish. It truly lives up to its name, À Gauche, referring to the famous Left Bank of Bordeaux.

 

The À Gauche from Yardstick’s winemaker Adam Mason is not just an outstanding Bordeaux blend, it also has a particularly intriguing backstory. The wine is Adam’s Cape interpretation of the famous Bordeaux wines from the Médoc, and a tribute to the Dutch.

 

You might be wondering what the Dutch have to do with South Africa and Bordeaux. Well, it was Dutch colonists who brought vitis vinifera to the Cape in the 17th century and established Constantia. It was also Dutch engineers who drained the marshy Médoc, making it suitable for viticulture.

 

Adam makes the wine—just like in the Médoc—predominantly from Cabernet Sauvignon. He harvests the Cabernet from the renowned Helderberg region, about 8 kilometers from False Bay, in top vineyards with soils of weathered granite and clay. He completes the blend with Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and (unlike in Bordeaux) a pinch of Syrah. These grapes come from steep hillside vineyards near the Stellenbosch Mountain Range, with red, iron-rich clay soils.

 

In the cellar, Adam processes the various grape varieties separately. After fermentation, the wines age for about 18 months in French oak barrels. Then, Adam blends the components into the harmonious À Gauche, where the power and structure of the Cabernet Sauvignon is perfectly complemented by the perfume and spiciness of the other grapes.

 

Adam himself says about his wine: “My goal was to capture the ripeness of the Cape summer while staying true to the essence and refined texture of the classic Bordeaux varieties.” And in our opinion, he has certainly achieved this with distinction. What a powerful and elegant red wine, with notes of cassis, plum, and cedar, a ripe, creamy, and robust flavor, and an endless finish. The wine certainly does justice to its name, À Gauche, referring to the famous Left Bank.

 

Tasting Notes

A deep ruby-red wine with an enticing aroma of blueberries, blackberries, plum, cedar, and pencil shavings. The taste is full and creamy with beautiful freshness and firm, ripe tannins. A long finish that spreads wide with notes of toast and bay leaf.

 

Food Pairing

A fantastic oak-aged red wine to enjoy on its own or as a superb food companion. Excellent with grilled meats, braai, entrecôte with garlic chips, lamb chops with sautéed zucchini, or aged Dutch cheeses.

 

Shelf Life

Drinking beautifully now; will easily age for up to 10 years from the vintage date.