2021 MR de Compostella
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Tasting Notes
A blend of five varietals, well known in South Africa as a Cape Blend, this 2021 MR Compostella consists of 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Cabernet Franc, 20% Merlot, 17% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot. This rendition has lovely aromas of blueberries, black cherry, violets and vanilla beans. There is a clean, refined entry that is very neat and fresh, with finely tuned minerality upfront that moves onto a lovely refined mid-palate of juicy, succulent black fruit with stunning fine-grained tannins that boast impressive length.
Critic Scores
Average Score
Tim Atkin MW
Greg Sherwood MW
More reviews and scores
The latest MR de Compostella confirms the wine's standing as one of the best red blends in the Cape, especially in a vintage like 2021. It’s a beautifully structured, nuanced cuvée with violet and pencil shaving aromas, subtle wood, plenty of underlying power and structure and a youthful, refreshing finish.
The MR de Compostella from Bruwer Raats and Mzokhona Mvemve possesses one of the most successful critical track records out of almost any red wine produced in South Africa let alone just in the Cape Bordeaux Blend category. The newest 2021 release astonishingly takes this wine to yet another higher niveau of quality with a blend of 26% Cabernet Franc, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Malbec, 20% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot. Made from vines aged between 9 and 22 years old, all grown on deep decomposed dolomitic granite soils with table mountain sandstone, the aromatics are wonderfully bold and exuberant displaying seductive notes of blackberries, crème de cassis, violets, sweet cherry tobacco, black cherries and tart black plum. The lifted perfumed intensity is incredibly pure and piercing with salty liquorice, cedar spice and beautifully detailed maritime oyster shell nuances. In the mouth, the concentration and focused steely intensity is astounding – tart, bright and architecturally soaring, shaping this wine into a powerful, linear, multi-dimensional masterpiece. Packed full of salty cassis, tart plum and black currant, the tightly wound core of power, refined extraction and polished marble tannins leave you in no doubt that this harmonious, vibrant beauty is a spellbinding, timeless classic in the making. Drink this beauty from 2024 and savour over the next 30+ years.
The 2021 MR de Compostella is blended from five components of five Bordeaux varieties from parcels deemed the best for each one, a selection made in the winery to create the final blend, which is then assessed for whether it deserves to be released. It has a lovely floral bouquet with pressed iris flowers, black cherries, clove and light potpourri scents. The medium-bodied palate has fine tannins, fresh and tensile with layers of minerally black fruit and a very Bordeaux-like, precise finish that lingers in the mouth. As usual, this MR has a wonderful sophistication and will mature gracefully over the next 20 years.
