The Producer
The Neil Ellis Five Sites Cabernet case takes apart one of Stellenbosch’s benchmark reds, a Cabernet Sauvignon Neil Ellis has made for more than three decades. Neil Ellis built his name on finding the right site for each wine, and this Cabernet is the clearest example: a blend of carefully chosen blocks, each picked for what it adds.
Now, in an exclusive collaboration with Vinty, you can taste what goes into it, in a way that has never been offered before. This case holds five single-block Cabernets, the components of the blend, plus the finished Neil Ellis Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 before its official public release. Only 60 cases were made, and they ship from 27 November.
Vintage & Terroir
The five blocks: Amper Bo Blok 14, Amper Bo Blok 27, Jonkersdrift Blok 15, Jonkershoek Leef op Hoop and Klein Gustrouw Blok 06. Each bottle wears a gold sticker naming its block.
Neil Ellis draws this Cabernet from two very different corners of Stellenbosch. In the Jonkershoek Valley, a river fed by heavy winter rain cuts through a windswept valley of sandstone, shale and granite, giving fine, powdery tannins and pure fruit. In the Bottelary Hills, breezes from both bays and a thin summer cloud cover temper the heat, giving power, texture and concentrated fruit.
The label tells the same story: its illustration is a map of the wine wards of Stellenbosch.
In the Cellar
The blend is fermented in stainless steel and matured in French oak. It brings the blocks together, balancing structure from one site with fruit and texture from another.
Tasting Notes
- Taste the five blocks side by side and notice how each site changes the tannin, fruit and weight.
- The 2022 blend: dark colour, blackberry, liquorice and cedar.
- Fresh, tight palate with fine, dense tannins.
- Built to age: open one set now and keep another for a few years.
Food Pairing
Chargrilled ribeye on the bone, slow-roasted lamb shoulder, or a festive braai with mature cheddar on the side. Better still, line up all six with friends over a long Sunday lunch. Order your case and keep the Tribe fed.
