Excelsior Winery's story reads like a made-for-television movie. The founding father, Jacobus de Wet, a leader of the Dutch East India Trading Company, bought a large farm in Stellenbosch and later earned the distinction of being the first winemaker in Cape Town and the Southern Hemisphere in 1679. A few generations later, young Koos de Wit was forced to leave the family's profitable business empire because he fell in love with his brother's fiancé and was no longer welcome by the family. Koos moved to Robertson to establish the Excelsior estate, where he and his new family made wine and raised horses. He later divided his farm between his sons, who went on to breed horses and plant more vineyards. The third brother, Jacobus Stephanus (known as Kowie), inherited Excelsior Estates. In addition to producing wine, it soon became one of the most successful ostrich breeders in the Robertson district, not for its meat or eggs but for its colorful feathers used in making women's hats and boas (or for men, who am I to judge).

Ostrich plumes were the essence of haute couture in the early 20th century and were very profitable. At the height of the market, a single ostrich plume was sold for the same amount you would pay for a passage from Cape Town to London! South African ostrich breeders displayed their newfound affluence in a style of architecture that became known as 'feather palaces.' Kowie de Wet was no exception and built Excelsior Manor in the Cape Revival style; it has the characteristic elegance of the Victorian era, embellished with Cape Dutch gables. He furnished his new home with ornate European furniture, and the de Wet family became the center for entertaining and social events.

The invention of the motorcar abruptly ended the fashion for ostrich feather millinery; ethereal bonnets and boas were no longer practical and were rapidly replaced by well-tucked-in scarves and tight-fitting hats that better suited open-top cars. This sudden shift in couture caused many ostrich farms to go bankrupt. Kowie and his son Oscar shifted their focus to their other loves, breeding horses and cultivating vines; their quick thinking and good business sense saved Excelsior, and it was one of the few farms not declared insolvent at the time.

Horse breeding was an important part of Excelsior Estates. In fact, Excelsior is a breed of Hackney horse that they imported from England in the 1800s. The horse on the label is a representation of Evanthius, imported by Excelsior Estates in 1913. A type of Hackney horse that is an elegant high-stepping breed of carriage horse that is popular for showing in harness events. This Hackney sire was a champion in Britain and America, winning first prize four times at the London Hackney show and in New York in the days when the Hackney was the king of the world. But I digress.

Today, Freddie de Wet and his son Peter de Wet run the winery, where wine and horses remain a mainstay of their estate. They have 540 acres of vineyards in Robertson Valley. This dry region is nicely suited to grow quality wine-making grapes. Hot days and cool nights produce a diurnal temperature variation where the grapes can cool down overnight, letting them retain acidity while still developing rich flavor profiles from the daytime heat. Winters are relatively cold, allowing the vines a period of dormancy before the next growing season. Cabernet Sauvignon is the most planted variety on the estate, making up 43% of all plantings. The soil is mainly limestone based, although a small portion comes from shale. The goal of the winery is to make wine that shows lots of fruit flavors, as well as soft tannins while maintaining a good structure. This is achieved using very strict canopy management to prevent shaded fruit and harvesting at optimal ripeness.

The grapes are harvested by hand for greater quality control. The wines are immediately destemmed but not crushed. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks for a period of 7 days at a temperature of between 28 and 32° Celsius. Aerated racking was done twice daily to ensure a clean ferment and soft tannins. The grapes are gently pressed in a bladder press, after which malo-lactic fermentation is completed in the tank.

40% of the total wine was aged in a mixture of French and American oak for a period of 9 months, while the remaining wine was tank aged. All terroir units were aged separately and then combined at blending.

2020 was back to normal after three consecutive drought vintages. The spring was marked by a very unusual early heat wave followed by intense cold resulting in frost damage and a reduced crop. The rest of the summer was dry and windy. The grapes were very healthy, and the wines showed great concentration and

The Excelsior Cabernet Sauvignon is a blackish plum in color with scents of ripe blackcurrants and plummy fruit. The soft ripe tannins balance toasty oak aromas and sweet fruit flavors. It has good structure with a soft, clean finish.

Cabernet Sauvignon 93%, Petit Verdot 7%

"Plummy, juicy, and round, the 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon begins with almost sappy fruits and a hint of leather and turned earth. Medium-bodied, the palate is balanced, has a straightforward frame, and is easy to drink. It ends with an uncomplicated finish. Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate 88 pts

Excelsior Cabernet 2020

To be honest, it has been a while since I have tried Excelsior Cabernet. I know it is one of the most popular South African wines we carry, and at well under $10 a bottle, I can see why. Tim and I tasted it early this morning to beat my deadline, and I must tell you, this is real wine—blue fruit with a hint of spice, red currant, and plum. The fresh fruit is balanced with lively acidity with a long, lush finish. For this wine to be offered at a final cost of under $5 makes this a not-to-be-missed bargain. The exact wine you will need for all those upcoming backyard get-togethers. The good news is that my distributor said he had over a thousand cases on hand of this wine. The bad news is that they gave me only 200 Mail in Rebates.

Regular Price: $8.99

*Sale Price is on 12 or more bottles

$24 Mail In Rebate on 12 bottles

Final Cost is $4 a bottle after MIR

Limit one rebate per household

Wine is packed in a 12-bottle case

*Wine pricing for these wine promotions are held for two weeks after the email offer.

We can hold wines in unpaid reserves for two weeks to allow you time to pick up your wine. If it takes you longer than that to pick up your wines, give us a call, and we can process your wine and move it to paid reserves.

Place your order now with the store contacts above, while you've got all the information at your fingertips.

Cheers!

John Hannum,

Fine & Rare Wine Specialist

Attleboro

628 Washington St.

Norwood

942 Providence Hgwy.

Sturbridge

376 Main Street.

Swansea

207 Swansea Mall Dr.

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