Three premium unlabelled reds from three of South Africa’s most respected cellars — two bottles of each, six bottles in total. None of these wines are sold under their producer’s label; that’s the entire point. You drink the wine, you skip the cellar-door markup. The Black Label Tasting Case is XCellar in distilled form: a Bordeaux blend with the structure of a serious Stellenbosch red, a cool-climate Cabernet Franc with six years of bottle age, and a Stellenbosch Syrah that spent four years in cellar before release. One case, three reds, six bottles, one insider price.

The XCellar Trade

What you’d pay at the cellar door for the labelled equivalents of these three wines? Multiples of the case price you see here. The wine is the wine; only the front labels are missing. That is the entire XCellar trade — premium parcels from cellars that, for any number of commercial reasons, decided not to release a particular run under their own label, sold to Vinty Tribe members at the price the wine should cost when you take the cellar-door theatre out of it.

This is a genuinely limited case. Each of the three components is sourced from a small parcel — once these batches sell through, the case is retired. There is no second pressing of an XCellar wine.

What’s in the Box

The Cipher Red Blend 2020 — Stellenbosch (×2)

A 95-point Bordeaux-style blend from a celebrated Stellenbosch estate, unlabelled. 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 15% Petit Verdot, 6% Cabernet Franc — proper Bordeaux varietal architecture. Deep garnet in the glass; ripe blackberry and blackcurrant on the nose, with cedar, tobacco leaf and dried Italian herbs underneath. Generous and full-bodied on the palate, with firm tannins and a layered mid-palate. Rich, structured and built to age — the standalone Vinty listing averages 4.6 stars across eleven verified reviews.

Cabernet Franc 2019 — Elgin (×2)

A cool-climate Cabernet Franc from an Elgin producer, bottled six years ago and held back from release. Elgin is one of South Africa’s most underrated red-wine regions — the high-altitude, ocean-influenced ward gives Cabernet Franc the savoury restraint and aromatic lift that defines the variety in its best Loire expressions. Expect graphite, violet and red-fruit aromatics, with a herbaceous edge softened by six years of bottle age. Medium-bodied, structured, and a grown-up’s red wine.

Syrah 2021 — Stellenbosch (×2)

Four years in the cellar — two in barrel, two in bottle — before release. The fruit comes off mountain-soil vineyards with two decades of vine age behind them. Delicate black pepper on the nose, restrained baking spice and dark berry fruit underneath. Soft, integrated tannins on the palate; lingering peppery depth on the finish. Drinking superbly now, with another 5–8 years of cellaring potential. 14.5% alcohol, beautifully balanced.

How They’re Made

Three different cellars, three different approaches — but a common thread of patience. The Cipher is a Bordeaux-style blend built from carefully selected parcels of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, vinified separately and assembled to give the structure and layering you’d expect from a serious Stellenbosch red. The Elgin Cabernet Franc has had six years in bottle to soften its tannins and integrate its aromatics. The Stellenbosch Syrah spent two years in barrel followed by two years in bottle before release — four years of cellar time is unusual at this price point, and it shows in the integration on the palate.

None of these wines were rushed to market. That’s why they read the way they do in the glass.

Food & Wine

• The Cipher Red Blend 2020 — Stellenbosch: Slow-roasted lamb, ribeye on the bone, oxtail stew, hard mature cheese. Built for a serious dinner-party red.
• Cabernet Franc 2019 — Elgin: Roast duck, herbed pork belly, mushroom risotto, a serious charcuterie board. Genuinely versatile — a thinking person’s red.
• Syrah 2021 — Stellenbosch: Karoo lamb on the spit, weekend oxtail or venison potjie, braaied ribeye with chimichurri. True braai wine — the peppery structure and soft tannins handle char and fat equally well.

Serve all three at 16–18°C in large red wine glasses. Open and decant briefly before pouring.

Awards & Recognition

• The Cipher Red Blend 2020 — Stellenbosch: 95-point Bordeaux-style blend | 4.6/5 stars across 11 verified Vinty reviews
• Cabernet Franc 2019 — Elgin: Six years of bottle age | Cool-climate Elgin parcel from a producer who held the wine back from release
• Syrah 2021 — Stellenbosch: Four years cellar time (24 months barrel + 24 months bottle) | 14.5% alc, pH 3.69, TA 6.0 g/l, RS 2.7 g/l

The Black Label Tasting Case is XCellar in its purest form — three serious reds from three top SA cellars, no labels, no markup, your price. Sold as a case of 6 bottles. Available at Vinty.