Metzer Family Cabernet Sauvignon 2022

The Producer

Wade Metzer is one of the most exciting winemakers in South Africa right now — and the numbers back it up. Mentored by the legendary Eben Sadie (winner of the 2017 Winemakers’ Winemaker Award and widely regarded as the most innovative producer in the Cape), Wade launched Metzer Family Wines in 2006 with a simple manifesto: let the vineyard do the talking. His Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 earned 5 Platter’s stars — the ultimate South African wine accolade — and his Chenin Blancs have claimed 5 stars on three separate occasions (Montane 2019, Maritime 2022 and 2024). Christian Eedes of winemag.co.za calls his wines ones that “grow in sophistication with each passing vintage.” Total production is just 4,500 cases a year across the entire range. When you open a bottle of Metzer, you’re tasting something genuinely handmade — and genuinely rare.

Vintage & Terroir

The 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon is sourced from vineyard parcels in the Steynsrust area of Stellenbosch’s Helderberg ward — a sub-region that sits between the towering Helderberg Mountains and the shimmering waters of False Bay. The ‘South Easter’ wind blows through 300 days a year, keeping the vines cool, dry and healthy — giving these wines a natural freshness that balances the Cape’s generous sunshine. Platter’s taster Cathy van Zyl MW describes it as a “Bright 2022 from Helderberg’s Steynsrust area focused on fruit purity” — abetted by 10% Shiraz for “red berry & white pepper complexity on classic cassis.” These bush vines dig deep into decomposed granite soils, delivering concentrated fruit with a mineral backbone that mass-produced wines simply cannot match.

In the Cellar

This is where the Eben Sadie influence really shows. Great emphasis is placed on minimum handling — no mechanical interventions such as pumps, filters, or reverse osmosis machines. The grapes are fermented naturally with indigenous yeasts (no commercial cultures), leading to long, stable extraction. The wine is matured for 15 months in French oak (30% new), then bottled unfined and unfiltered — nothing added, nothing taken away. Cathy van Zyl notes the “complementary clove & cardamom” spice from the oak and the “silky tannins” that result from this patient, hands-off approach. Wade’s philosophy is deceptively simple: source exceptional fruit, treat it gently, and trust the vineyard to express itself.

Tasting Notes

Deep garnet with a violet rim. The nose is restrained and complex — classic cassis, red berry, dried herbs, violets and earth, layered with white pepper complexity from the Shiraz component. On the palate, this is medium-bodied and elegant with exceptional fruit definition, fresh acidity and fine-grained, silky tannins. Clove and cardamom build through the mid-palate — a gift from the 30% new French oak — leading to a long, savoury finish with lingering notes of cedar and black pepper. This 2022 vintage earned 4.5 Platter’s stars (92 points) from Cathy van Zyl MW, and Christian Eedes rated the 2018 vintage 92/100 on winemag.co.za — the same year it achieved the full 5 Platter’s stars. This is a winery on an upward trajectory, and every vintage confirms it. One WineSpark reviewer summed it up perfectly: “Buy 6-12 bottles, have it ready for dinner with friends.”

Food Pairing

Built for the table. Outstanding with braai’d ribeye, slow-cooked lamb shank, beef fillet with a red wine reduction, or a rich oxtail potjiekos. The perfumed Shiraz lift also works brilliantly with venison, duck breast or a well-aged Gouda. For something more relaxed, try it alongside beef bourguignon on a winter evening. Serve at 16-18 C. Drinking beautifully now but with the silky tannin structure to reward cellaring for 10+ years.

Technical Details

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