RAINBOW'S END MYSTICAL CORNER 2019
For anyone who has visited Rainbow’s End in Stellenbosch, they will know just how stunning the valley where it is located is, hard to spot a rainbow there though unless visiting in the SA winter.
From the sunny valley location, it sometimes seems strange to bring their wines to a drizzly, snowy UK with wintery blustery wind blowing. However, the Mystical Corner Bordeaux Blend lends itself perfectly to our dark gloomy evenings nestled in front of the fire. A traditional blend now adopted by Stellenbosch, in this instance is 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Shiraz, 20% Malbec and 12% Petit Verdot. All varietals perfectly suited to the Stellenbosch region, but with more weight and substance than their Bordeaux equivalents.
The 2019 vintage is in a more substantial bottle than previous incarnations, feeling weighty in the hand as the cork is eased from the neck. The liquid in the glass is an opaque dark garnet with purple hues around the rim and shows off excellent legs as it is swirled around the glass. The nose is pronounced with lashings of blackcurrant and just a touch of perfumed fragrance. Smooth on the palate there are tannins that have already nicely integrated giving a wonderful rounded but full experience. A little spice probably from the Shiraz, mocha from the Malbec, blackberry Cabernet and lets get French…some je‘ne sais quoi from the Petit Verdot make up a luxurious blend immensely palatable, deep and rich. The oaking is subtle but present, all in all a wonderful example of this style of wine from one of SA’s premium regions.
Equivalent wines from Stellenbosch command big bucks, for me this is a wine that punches massively above its price tag.
MD 91/100
