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De Toren Private Cellar - rated one of the
20 best new wineries in the world
Food and wine magazine USA , November 2004
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Perched in South Africa 's Polkadraai Hills, De Toren has achieved international cult status since Emil and Sonette den Dulk produced their first vintage in 1999. This Bordeaux style blend, with it's classic flavours
of plum, currant and cedar and it's
refined richness, is a quality wine at a
price that has not been seen in Bordeaux
since at least the 1988 vintage.
 De Toren Private Cellar on
the Global "A" List FOOD & WINE the American food and wine magazine,
with a distribution of over 6 million copies
produced their global "A" list of Richard Nalley wrote: "Hundreds of exciting wineries
have opened up around the globe in recent
years defying the worldwide economic slump.
Italy, Spain, the United States and probably
South Africa and Australia have each launched
a long roster of impressive newcomers. And
countries in both the Old and the New World,
ranging from Germany to Argentina to New
Zeeland, have debuted innovative new wineries
that would be impossible for any oenophile
to ignore. The terrific bottles highlighted
here come from a selection of the planet's
20 most notable producers, all of which
introduced their labels in 1999 or later". |
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ACCOLADES
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1999
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Fusion V 1999
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2001
London International Wine & Spirits Challenge
Gold Medal
Robert J Parker Jr's WINE ADVOCATE 90 Points
Wine Spectator
- USA
90 Points
"Outstanding
- superior character and style"
Virgin Wines
Customer Ratings 5 stars *****
John Platter
Wine Guide 4 stars ****
Wine Magazine
SA
4 stars
****
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2000
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Fusion V 2000
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5th best Cabernet based wine in the world
Weinwisser
Switzerland
International Wine and Spirit Competition
Silver Medal
Wine Spectator
- USA
91 Points
"Outstanding
- superior character and style"
Decanter Magazine
4 ½ stars
*****
John Platter
Wine Guide
4 ½ stars
-
*****
Wine Magazine SA
4 stars - ****
2000 National
Young Wine Show Champion
(Malbec constituent rated best Malbec
in the country)
Participated
in the Nederburg Auction
Twenty wooden cases of 6 De Toren Fusion
V 2000 Directors Reserve auctioned off at
R 693.50 per bottle incl VAT.
Comment:
Hi Emil,
I trust you are keeping well and the 2007
Vintage has treated you well too!
Just a short note to let you know that my
wife and I took a bottle of 2000 Fusion
V to dinner at a local restaurant here in
Ballito where we are
currently holidaying. I am happy to report
that it is drinking superbly well. Very
smooth and well balanced, still ample fruit
and really soft tannins. Complex secondary
flavours too - in my view. It has genuinely
matured into a world class Bdx blend. Happily
I still have another 6 bottles left. It's
been a great investment. Here's hoping my
recently acquired case of your Director's
Reserve will do as well!
With best regards recently acquired case of your Director's
Reserve will do as well!
With best regards
DPJ
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2001
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Fusion V 2001
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Wine Spectator - USA 91 Points
Very sleek, polished, modern style, with
loads of ripe, dark blackberry and black
currant fruit, and a healthy dose of sweet
smoke as well. Deceptively concentrated,
this glides really easily across the palate
to a lengthy finish. Cabernet Sauvignon,
Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec and Petit
Verdot.
Expovina
- Switzerland 92 Points
Decanter
Magazine
4 ½ stars -
*****
John
Platter Wine Guide 4 ½ stars - *****
Wine Magazine
SA 4 ½ stars *****
2001 National
Young Wine Show Champion
(Malbec constituent
rated best Malbec in the country)
International Wine & Spirit Competition 2005 Gold Medal
Fairburn Capital Trophy Wine Show
Bronze Medal
Rated best
red Wine at Winex Johannesburg
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2002
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Fusion V 2002
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Decanter
Magazine
5 stars *****
(South Africa)
This is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon,
14% Merlot, 14% Malbec, 8% Cabernet Franc
and 4% Petit Verdot. The first vintage of
this flagship wine was 1999, and the blend
remains very similar from year to year.
Less bold in style than earlier vintages,
this is firm with delicate raspberry and
blackcurrant fruit, and still tight. Drink
2007-19.
2002 National Young Wine Show Champion
Gold Medal and
Bakke Industry
Trophy
Proefschrift magazine - Holland
Rated
best red wine in the world in it's category 5 stars - *****
in the Netherlands Selected the De Toren
Fusion V
2002 out of 160 international wines
as it's wine of
the year.
Wine Spectator
- USA
89 Points
John Platter
Wine Guide 4 ½
stars
- *****
Rated "Best
red Wine at Winex Johannesburg"
Wine of
the Month Club 2005 Platinum Award
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2003
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Fusion V 2003 |
London International
Wine and Spirits Challenge -
Best Wine in its Class IWSC 2005
Deep, dark purple with blue rim. Immediate
impression of fine style and harmony. Full
range of aromas from floral, red berry and
oak to fresh earth, dry herb and sweet spice.
Well-rounded mouth with full body and massive
impact of fruit and spice. Great balance
with fine elegance. Chewy but ripe tannins
and massive, long finish. Going to reward
long cellaring
International Wine & Spirit Competition 2005
Silver Medal
Wine Spectator
- USA Wine of the Week
91
Points
John Platter
Wine Guide
4 ½
stars
- ***** Winex Cape Town 2005
Rated
Best Red
Wine at Winex Johannesburg 2005
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2004
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Fusion V 2004
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Wine Spectator - USA
91 Points
Points This features a good, solid beam
of raspberry and fig fruit, along with fig,
mocha and cocoa notes. Nice length, with
a vibrant minerally spine on the finish.
Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot,
Malbec and Petit Verdot. Drink now through
2009. 300 cases imported. —J.M.
Steve Tanzer's International Wine Cellar
online edition
90 Points
Full red-ruby. Vibrant aromas
of blackcurrant, minerals, bitter chocolate
and liquorice. Supple, suave and impressively
concentrated, but far more backward than
the Z owing to its higher percentage of
cabernet sauvignon (55%, vs. 34%). Densely
packed and minerally, in the understated
style of a traditionally made Bordeaux.
Very long and subtle on the back end. Needs
at least five or six years of aging. (Cape
Classics, New York, NY)
WINE and
Spirits Magazine USA
91 points
Concours Mondial de Bruxelles Silver Medal
John Platter Wine Guide 4½
Stars
*****
Rated best Red at Show RMB WineX Johannesburg
Visitor index
Rated best Red at Show RMB WineX Cape Town
Visitor index
International Wine & Spirit Competition 2007
Bronze Medal
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De Toren Z 2004 |
International
Wine and Spirits Challenge
Silver Medal
Steve Tanzer's International Wine Cellar
online edition
91 Points
Good deep ruby-red. Distinctly wild
aromas of plum, dark berries, leather, spice
cake and flowers. Sweet and pliant but high-toned
and sauvage, with a strong spice character
to the dark berry, chocolate and game flavors.
Firm acids and lush tannins do not get in
the way of the wine's sweetness. I find
a lot of personality here, but this is not
for the faint of heart. This spends one
year in a combination of French and American
oak.
This is the highest accolade for
De Toren Z. Made in a totally different
style to Fusion V, with grapes from the
new southern sloping vineyards comes this
"Z" Bordeaux blend dominated by Merlot and
Cabernet franc. This wine really expresses
the virtues of merlot and the cabernet franc
is there to support and bring out the beautiful
nose with hints of violets to tease you.
Wine Enthusiast
91 Points
This is the highest accolade for De
Toren Z. Made in a totally different
style to Fusion V, with grapes from the
new southern sloping vineyards comes
this "Z" Bordeaux blend dominated by
Merlot and Cabernet franc. This wine
really expresses the virtues of merlot
and the cabernet franc is there to
support and bring out the beautiful nose
with hints of violets to tease you.
Swiss International Airline Awards
Bronze Medal
Decanter World Wine Awards
Bronze Medal
Veritas
Bronze Medal
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2005
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Fusion V 2005
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Wine
Spectator - USA
92 Points
DE TOREN Fusion V Stellenbosch 2005
Sleek, modern style with raspberry and cassis
fruit flavors layered with suave mocha and
tobacco notes. Ample concentration, with
a long, polished finish. Cabernet Sauvignon,
Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc and Petit
Verdot. The best vintage yet for this very
consistent wine. Drink now through 2010.
560 cases imported. —J.M.
Wine Enthusiast 91 Points
De Toren 2005 Fusion V (Stellenbosch);
The assertive elegance of a French Bordeaux is present here, but the Fusion also has a South African edge to it that gives it extra appeal. The nose, a subtle layering of luscious berry, minerality and spice, rolls into a clean, taut but flirty combination of plum and pepper, edged very quietly by tobacco smoke. Serious but with a feminine touch, this wine is made for food pairing. Imported by Cape Classics.
Editors’ Choice. – S.K.
KEN'S
WINE GUIDE USA 94.3 Points
Average Rating of KWG Group 94.3 points
on the
Parker scale.
I have tasted through quite
a few South African Wines over the last
few months and this Bordeaux blend wine
from De Toren is one of the best reds I
have tried. This dark purple wine opens
with a very inviting spicy blueberry like
bouquet with hints of oak. On the palate,
this wine is smooth, soft and well balanced.
It has a very approachable style to it that
would appeal to both old and new world fans.
The wine displays juicy blackberry and plum
like flavours with some mild oak influence
that is also present. The finish is nicely
dry, has lingering fine tannins and slowly
fades after you swallow it. It is an absolutely
delicious wine that would pair perfectly
with rib eye steak at your favourite steakhouse.
Enjoy this beauty.
Wine Magazine SA
Smart Investment and Editor's choice 4 Stars
****
Selections Mondiales des vins Canada Silver Medal
Competition 2008
Decanter World Wine Awards 2008
Silver Medal
International Wine & Spirit Competition 2007
Silver Medal
International Wine Challenge Competition 2008
Silver Medal
BEST RED WINE ON SHOW at WineX Cape Town
and Johannesburg
This is a
wine show where the public gets their chance
to rate the best wine they have tasted on
the evening. With approximately 20% of the
visitors to the show completing ballots
for the Best-Wine-On-Show Awards, the voting
represents the Countries' most substantial
public opinion poll of wine preferences.
As in previous years, the public
identified some of the country's best known
wines on their voting forms.
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De Toren Z 2005
Fusion V 2006 |
Wine Spectator - USA 89 points
Polished with currant and mocha notes carried by ripe, well rounded tannins. Flashes of tobacco and spices on the finish. Nicely done. Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink now through 2008. 560 cases imported. J.M.
Wine Enthusiast- USA 89 points
De Toren 2005 Z (Stellenbosch); $30. The Z has a big nose of red fruit, spicy wood and pepper, and on the palate, it’s equally alluring and masculine, with flavors of smoke, mint and spice. The wine is elegant but upfront, and could use some time to age and settle into its full potential. A collectible, serious wine that will pair well with beef and equally hearty dishes. Imported by Cape Classics.– S.K
International Wine and Spirits Competition 2007
Silver Medal
International Wine & Spirit Competition 2008 Best in Class 2008
John Platter Wine Guide 4 Stars ****
In the top ten of "BEST RED WINE
ON SHOW "at WineX Cape Town and Johannesburg
This is a
wine show where the public gets their
chance to rate the best wine they have
tasted on the evening. With
approximately 20% of the visitors to the
show completing ballots for the
Best-Wine-On-Show Awards, the voting
represents the Countries' most
substantial public opinion poll of wine
preferences. As in previous years, the public
identified some of the country's best known
wines on their voting forms.
John Platter 2009
5 Star *****
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