The Producer
Groenland Cabernet Sauvignon comes from a fourth-generation family estate in the Bottelary Hills of Stellenbosch, one of the Cape’s most respected red wine districts. The Steenkamp family has farmed here for more than 90 years, with Piet Steenkamp now winemaker and farmer. Of the estate’s 188 hectares, 152 are under vine, and around 40 of those are Cabernet Sauvignon, so this is a variety the family knows inside out.
Elevated south-west facing slopes look out towards Table Bay, and the estate’s Classic range is where that terroir shows most directly: honest, structured reds made to be opened at the table.
Vintage & Terroir
The 2020 fruit comes from low-yielding Cabernet vineyards in the Bottelary sub-region. The vines grow in well-drained gravel soils under a Mediterranean climate of hot, dry summers and cold, wet winters, with roughly 800mm of rain a year and summer irrigation where needed. Cooling breezes off Table Bay slow the ripening, which keeps the fruit fresh while the tannins mature.
In the Cellar
Grapes were picked fully ripe at 25°B, destemmed and crushed, then fermented dry with a pure yeast culture in open-top cement fermenters at 26–28°C. The cap was pumped over four to six times a day through the eight-day fermentation. After pressing and malolactic fermentation, the wine spent 12 months in French oak barrels, 75% second-fill and 25% third-fill, so the oak frames the fruit rather than masking it.
Tasting Notes
- Appearance: Deep, dark red.
- Nose: Black pepper and ripe berries, with dark fruit underneath.
- Palate: Full-bodied and fruity, with chocolate notes from the French oak and velvety, well-structured tannins.
- Finish: Long and savoury, with the structure to keep developing for five to eight years.
Food Pairing
Serve at 16–18°C alongside slow-roasted leg of lamb, a grilled beef fillet or a braai of rib-eye and boerewors. It also stands up well to hard yellow cheeses such as mature cheddar or Gouda. Order your case and keep the Tribe fed.
Technical Details
| Vintage | 2020 |
| Region | Bottelary, Stellenbosch |
| Grape(s) | Cabernet Sauvignon |
| Alcohol | 14.85% |
| Residual Sugar | 2.5 g/l |
| Total Acidity | 5.8 g/l |
| pH | 3.61 |
| Oak | 12 months in French oak (75% second-fill, 25% third-fill) |
| Closure | Cork |
| Cellaring | Drink now or cellar for 5–8 years |
| Bottle Size | 750ml |
| Case Size | 6 bottles |
Our Guarantee
Every case of Groenland Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 is backed by our 100% Happiness Assured! Guarantee. If you’re not completely delighted, get in touch and we’ll make it right — no fuss, no fine print, just great wine and a happy Tribe.
The 2019 vintage was rated 85/100, 3.5 stars, Very good/promising — Platter’s By Diners Club Wine Guide, 2025 edition.
