92 Points | International Wine Cellar , March/April 2009

($33; aged in 80% new French oak for 15 months) Deep red-ruby. Captivating, slightly high-toned aromas of blueberry, cassis, licorice and pepper. Dense, sweet and intense, with noteworthy grip and underlying structure to the plum, dark berry and oak spice flavors; an intriguing tobacco element emerged as the wine opened in the glass. Full but light on its feet. This densely packed wine really saturates the mouth, finishing long and sweet, with fine-grained tannins and a lingering perfume of crystallized fruits. A superb vintage for this wine, which is routinely one of South Africa's finest and most complete examples of pinotage. (Cape Classics, New York, NY)