Napier Red Medallion 2018

This structured and 'muscular' red wine originates from South Africa, within the prized Wellington district of the Western Cape. Produced by Napier Single Vineyard Wines a estate founded in 1993 and named in honor of Sir George Napier, a historic Governor of the Cape of Good Hope this flagship bottling is modeled after the iconic, long-lived Bordeaux blends of the Left Bank. Operating under a terroir-driven, precision winemaking philosophy, Napier focuses on low yields, careful hand selection, and traditional aging techniques. Sourced from estate vineyards situated on the lower slopes of the Hawequa Mountains, the vines are rooted in deep, gravelly clay soils over decomposed granite. The unique microclimate features hot summer days tempered by cool afternoon breezes blowing off the Atlantic Ocean, allowing Cabernet Sauvignon and its classic blending partners to achieve complete phenolic maturity, rich concentration, and firm structural depth.

Wine Description

The 2018 Napier Red Medallion presents an opaque, deep garnet-purple appearance in the glass with rich ruby shimmers along the rim. Its sensory profile is exceptionally bold, deep, and high-toned, delivering a complex, full-bodied expression of Western Cape terroir. The bouquet opens with a generous display of crushed cassis, ripe black plums, and wild blackberries, seamlessly layered with complex underlays of cigar box, dark chocolate, graphite, sweet tobacco leaf, dried fynbos scrub, and a subtle touch of toasted cedar wood. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, dense, and precisely focused, showcasing a succulent core of black stone fruits, cocoa nibs, and savory spices. It is characterized by its outstanding fruit concentration and a balanced, mouthwatering backbone of natural acidity that lifts the rich mid-palate extract. The mouthfeel is broad, velvety, and athletic, framed by sturdy, fine-grained, and chalky tannins that carry into an extraordinarily long, dry, and savory finish accented by persistent notes of iron, baking spice, and lingering dark berry compote.