The Babylonstoren Babel is a blend of most of the black cultivars on the farm. Babylonstoren literally translates to “Tower of Babel” in Afrikaans. When the original owner walked up to the conical hill on the property, he deemed it the “Tower of Babel.” When the winemaking program began in 2010, the employees of Babylonstoren were invited to a group tasting. Towards the end of the tasting, they were all “babbling” and sharing stories in many tongues (Afrikaans, English, Dutch, French) so they decided to call this the “Babel” Red Blend as a nod to their name but also the camaraderie and warmth it brings when drinking with a group of friends and colleagues.

48% shiraz, 13% merlot, 11% petit verdot, 11% cabernet franc, 10% malbec, 7% pinotage

The cultivars are harvested separately and made separately. Fermentation takes place on the skins for about seven days, after which it is given an extended maceration period of about one week. The wine is then pressed into 30% new and 70% second- and third-fill 300-litre French oak barrels. After malolactic fermentation, the wine is racked and then returned to the barrels to total 12 months of barrel maturation.

COLOUR: Intense ruby red.
BOUQUET: Crushed mulberry, blackberry and plum flavours with well-judged oak
maturation, adding layers of sweet spice, vanilla and dark chocolate.
TASTE: Succulent black fruit with a savoury edge of cigar box and graphite, all held
together beautifully with smooth tannins and a tightly knit structure.

Youthful and vibrant with enough depth to hold its own in the company of slow-cooked game or oxtail stews, barbecued boerewors, grilled lamb chops with rosemary or lightly spiced pulled pork shoulder.