En primeur: Stellenbosch 2025

Drink from 2030 to 2043. 14.5%

Drink from 2034 to 2047. 14.5%

Drink from 2030 to 2045. 14.5%

Drink from 2030 to 2043. 14.5%

Miles Mossop’s Max, named after his eldest son, is a blend of 58% cabernet sauvignon, 23% merlot and 9% each cabernet franc and petit verdot this vintage, from vineyards across Stellenbosch including in the Helderberg, Polkadraai Hills, Bottelary and Devon Valley – so in some sense it’s a little microcosm of this glorious 2025 vintage for Bordeaux varieties in Stellenbosch. Miles, like every other producer we spoke to, commented on the beautiful ripening of tannins in 2025, and the tannins on Max are fruit-wrapped and pliant, supporting the intense cassis and bramble fruit. This is a wine of contrasts in that it displays a rich, velvety texture as well as freshness and tension. At its heart is the apparently effortless balance of the vintage, and it has a long, chalky finish with a twist of cigar-box spice. It is aged in almost equal proportions new French oak, second-fill and third-fill barrels. Drink from 2028 to 2040. 14.5%

With Sam, Miles Mossop’s aim is to showcase Stellenbosch cabernet sauvignon (in all its glory), producing the finest cab he can in that year, selecting from the various sites he works with across the region, to produce a wine which he feels expresses the variety the best. Miles notes that all cab components were exceptional in 2025. While rarely 100% cabernet, the 2025 vintage sees one of the highest proportions of cab in Sam yet, at 97%, with 60% of the fruit from the Simonsberg and 40% from the Greater Helderberg area (including Raithby). This is a regal rendition of Sam; intense and deep with inky black fruit, spicy with cedar, and gravelly with a dark, brooding minerality. There is real depth and length here, with layers of tannins creating a luxurious texture; a dry, sapid ‘old-world’ finish and a classic cedar profile from ageing in 39% new French oak and 61% second fill. Full-bodied and powerful, this has gravitas and presence. Only five barrels were produced in 2025, and bottling will take place at the end of November 2026. Drink from 2032 to 2045. 14.5%