The Producer
Neil Ellis The Left Bank has just done something no other Cape Bordeaux blend achieved this year — winning the Riedel Trophy for Best Bordeaux-Style Red Blend at the 2026 Investec Trophy Wine Show, scoring 97 points. Neil Ellis is a Stellenbosch icon dating to the 1980s, one of the first Cape winemakers to champion site-specific vineyard selection. His son Warren now runs the cellar — a Cape Winemakers Guild member since 2017 — holding to the same philosophy: find the best sites, respect the fruit, let the wine speak.
Vintage & Terroir
The Left Bank is Neil Ellis’s nod to Bordeaux — a Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot blend from multiple prime Stellenbosch sites, named for Bordeaux’s Left Bank where Cabernet-dominant blends reign supreme. Mountain slopes, deep granitic soils and warm days give the Cabernet real structure, while Merlot adds plummy roundness. The 2021 vintage struck an excellent balance — full ripeness with cool-night freshness — the vintage behind its trophy-winning form.
In the Cellar
Each variety is vinified separately before the final blend is assembled through extensive tasting trials, then matured in French oak to integrate tannins and add subtle spice and cedar without masking the fruit. It’s a classical, restrained approach — Bordeaux-inspired, made with Cape confidence. Prior vintages have consistently earned strong recognition, including 4 to 4.5 Platter’s stars and a Tim Atkin MW score of 90 for the 2018 release — proof this is a wine that delivers vintage after vintage.
Tasting Notes
Garnet-red with a ruby rim. Ripe cassis and dark plum lead the nose, layered with forest floor, dried herbs, a hint of mint and gentle cedar from the oak. Cabernet supplies the structural backbone — fine-grained tannins and blackcurrant intensity — while Merlot fills the mid-palate with plummy generosity. The finish is long, with black pepper, tobacco leaf and a dusting of cocoa. Riedel Trophy for Best Bordeaux-Style Red Blend, 97 points — Investec Trophy Wine Show, 2026 (trophywineshow.co.za/winners-and-results/trophy-winners-2026/).
Food Pairing
A brilliant all-rounder at the table. Try it with braai’d lamb chops, slow-cooked potjiekos, beef fillet with peppercorn sauce, or a rich mushroom and truffle risotto — even a Tuesday bolognese feels like a celebration alongside this one. Pair with a mature Gruyère or Gouda for cheese lovers. Serve at 16–18°C; drinking beautifully now, with structure to develop over the next 5–8 years. Order your case and keep the Tribe fed.
