I'm off to a tasting trip to South Africa next month, so I thought I'd share a little bit of my excitement about South African wines with you. 

The Chocolate Block is a luscious blend of old vine Syrah and Grenache, combined with lesser amounts of Cinsault, Cabernet and Viognier, all separately fermented (with the exception of a wee bit of Syrah and Viognier in a Cote Rotie-style co-ferment).  The Syrah dominates this blend, with mineral, black cherry, violet and sanguine notes running in front of a smoky background.  Syrah and Grenache combine for soft and succulent spice tones, with rich berry, gentle mint, chocolate/mocha notes, soft tannins, with softer oak and spice in mid-palate. Complexity, finish, and elegance are wonderfully composed, while still retaining the classic South African bramble.

Put this puppy into a blind tasting and few would know it was South African. 

Winemaker and Boekenhoutsclouf co-founder Marc Kent was named 2007's Winemaker of the Year by Diner’s Club International.    

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