The Producer
Neil Ellis has been making Cabernet Sauvignon in Stellenbosch since 1984 — longer than most. His flagship Jonkershoek Cabernet has earned 5 Platter’s stars four times, and the estate’s reds consistently pull 90+ ratings from Tim Atkin MW, James Suckling, Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast. Warren Ellis now heads the cellar (Cape Winemakers Guild member since 2017), bringing fresh energy to a proven formula: source the best fruit across Stellenbosch, respect the vineyard, and make the wine properly. When the Prescient Cabernet Sauvignon Report ranked Neil Ellis Stellenbosch Cabernet 2014 in the Top 15 with 90 points — and the Jonkershoek joint first at 92 — it confirmed what the market already knew: this is one of the Cape’s great Cabernet houses.
Vintage & Terroir
This is a multi-vineyard Stellenbosch blend — fruit sourced from prime sites across the appellation to create a wine that captures the essence of what this region does best with Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2021 vintage followed a cool, delayed spring with a benign but cooler-than-normal summer; phenolic ripeness came slowly, preserving aromatics and acidity, and the eventual harvest — pushed back by a couple of weeks — came in lighter than usual but of excellent quality. Predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon with a small component of other Bordeaux varieties adding freshness to the blend. Deep red-clay and decomposed granite soils across the estate’s vineyard sources deliver classic Stellenbosch concentration and structure.
In the Cellar
Eighteen months in French oak (new and seasoned) gives this wine its structural backbone without masking the fruit. Warren Ellis works with a combination of small and larger-format barrels to build complexity while preserving varietal purity. Careful extraction, extended maceration, and patient barrel maturation combine to produce a Cabernet that is both approachable and age-worthy — the hallmark of the Neil Ellis style.
Tasting Notes
Deep ruby-garnet with a dark core. The nose shows classic restraint — blackberry, liquorice and cedar notes with a whisper of tobacco. The palate is tight and fresh on entry, opening into fine, dense tannins and a concentrated core of dark fruit that reflects the vintage’s smaller, more intense berries. The finish is long and structured. This is a Cabernet built to last — for early drinking, give it 30 minutes in a decanter and watch it unfold.
Food Pairing
The quintessential braai wine — spectacular with a thick-cut ribeye, lamb loin chops, or a slow-smoked brisket. Also brilliant with venison pie, aged cheddar, or a classic Beef Wellington. For something different, try it with a rich bobotie or slow-braised oxtail with red wine jus. Serve at 16–18°C. Drinking well now, but this has the tannin structure and concentration to reward cellaring for 10+ years.
