Tanzer Rates Ashbourne 2001

Ashbourne 2001, the maiden vintage, was rated 92/100 by Steve Tanzer in his influential US publication - the International Wine Cellar.

He described the wine as follows: "Good full ruby red, high-toned aromas of spicy red berries, dried flowers, mint, marzipan and smoky, nutty, slightly resiny oak. Then impressively deep in the mouth, with flavours of black raspberry, iron, leather, smoke and earth, perked up by a note of tart cranberry. This boasts terrific freshness and sappy depth of flavor. Finishes firmly tannic and impressively long. An unapologetically French-style pinotage, if that's possible for a South African variety."

Ashbourne is the first bottled result of Anthony Hamilton Russell's ten year quest to produce a distinctly classically styled Pinotage based wine, that belongs in the company of the world's great benchmark reds, without in any way replicating them or seeking to taste like them.