Tokara is just one of those wine estates that do everything to the standard of excellence.  All facets of this business operate at the highest level, revealing quality in every area you look.  Whether it is a fantastic seafood feast at their restaurant overlooking mountain vineyards and olive groves, or meandering through the art collection with a great glass of wine, this place is a treasure.  The winery is owned by high profile businessman GT Ferreira, chairman of the FirstRand bank.

The winery itself is an impressive architecturally designed facility with state of the art computer controlled machinery and a fabulous selection of oak barrels and fermenters.  During harvest they have capacity for about 950 tonnes of fruit, making them a significant producer of fine wines. 

Grapes for the portfolio come from three estate properties.  The “home” vineyard extends around the winery on the Simonsberg hills in the Helshoogte pass.  Vineyards in Elgin and Hermanus supply the other cool climate varietals.  All vineyards are operated using the latest viticultural techniques including NDVI aerial mapping.  This technology captures light from different spectra emitted from vines, to help determine differing growth rates in a vineyard, and hence manage the vines appropriately.

The wines themselves are nothing short of sensational.  The Sauvignon Blancs and Chardonnays from different vineyards are well made and showed their distinct terroir.  The Cabernet Sauvignon from the home vineyard is spectacular.  The flagship blends of the “Tokara red” and “Tokara white” are true benchmarks of the South African wine industry.  

The winemaking is led by the young and talented  Miles Mossop.  He shows the technical aptitude and artistic finesse of a truly great winemaker.  There is a saying in winemaking circles “you are only as good as your worst wine”, in the case of Tokara, I would be happy to drink this wine any day of the week.

Wines from this Winery:

2007 Elgin Sauvignon Blanc

 

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2007 Elgin Sauvignon Blanc

The nose shows lifted notes of citrus, fresh passionfruit, lemon peel and herbal complexity. The palate is rich, medium bodied, with punchy fruit intensity and a balanced finish showing good acid crispness. This is a fine and legitimate version of the variety, showing that the mountain vineyards of Elgin, just outside of Stellenbosch are one of the best places to grow Sauv. Blanc. Drink now to 2012. (93 points)

 

2006 Zondernaam Cabernet Sauvignon

 

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2006 Zondernaam Cabernet Sauvignon

The bouquet is that of pure blackcurrant fruit, mocha and lifted oak complexity. The palate is very full bodied showing a finely grained tannin structure, exceptional for the variety. The wine finishes with excellent weight and balance. This great red avoids the trap of excess primary fruit or too much extraction with the savoury notes that often follow. A truly fantastic wine showing why the Cabernet Sauvignons from the slopes of the Simonsberg mountain area of Stellenbosch are so sought after.  Drink now to 2017. (94 points)