In the summer of 2020 South African industry was on the verge of collapsing due to an alcohol sales ban since the start of the pandemic, and export is the only way wineries might survive. We got 2016 Beyond Ordinary Red to support African winemakers the best way we can – by drinking their wine.
Beyond Ordinary Red 2016
2016 Beyond Ordinary is a classic Bordeaux blend of 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc, 12% Petite Verdot and 5% Malbec. It’s produced by Spier – a well respected South African producer with a long history of winemaking.
It’s a full-bodied wine with sensible acidity and well-balanced tannin. True to the blend, we smelled black currant, cassis, plum, baking spice, and cedar.
We tasted ripe black currant, cherry, black plum, and dark chocolate in the lengthy aftertaste.
2016 Beyond Ordinary has all the hallmark features of a good Bordeaux bottle, and it landed on our “Best Value Wines” under $20 list. We liked it more than most 2016 Bordeaux we tasted this year. Interestingly, some of those Bordeaux were substantially more expensive.
South African Wine
African winemakers produce a wide range of world-class wines that can satisfy most tastes, including Cap Classique (Traditional) Sparkling for bubble lovers and legendary Vin de Constance for dessert wines aficionados. Many bottles present tremendous value as well when compared to Old World and American wines.
As we were writing this post, the ban on alcohol was lifted. We think it’s an even better reason to pick South African wine. That’s a perfect way to celebrate this great news.
Did you try any of the African wines recently?