Three cheers for TOKARA’s trio of 2020 Platter’s 5-star wines

TOKARA’s unflinching quest for perfection has brought its 20th vintage year to a triumphant close with no less than three Platter’s 5-star wines, a joint Noble Late Harvest category winner and six 4½ star ratings in the 40th anniversary edition of South Africa’s definitive wine guide.

The three TOKARA 5-star wines that have made the cut in the 2020 Platter’s South African Wine Guide are the flagship Directors Reserve Red 2015, the Reserve Collection Elgin Sauvignon Blanc 2018 and the Reserve Collection Sauvignon Blanc Noble Late Harvest 2017. This 5-star laureate shares the top spot with Buitenverwachting as Platter’s best Noble Late Harvest overall.

“We celebrated our 20th vintage this year. These results are the cherry on the top of a wonderfully successful year for the team at TOKARA and especially the Ferreira family,” says GM Karl Lambour.

A true reflection of everything TOKARA stands for – refinement, elegance and balance, the TOKARA Director’s Reserve Red 2015 is a consummate blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (71%), Merlot (15%), Petit Verdot (7%), Malbec (4%) and Cabernet Franc (3%). This is a wine of immense clarity with ample dark cherries, blackberries, ripe plum skin and a hint of spice. A fine yet firm tannin structure bodes well for the longevity synonymous with this TOKARA flag bearer. In addition to the Platter’s 5-stars, the 2015 vintage holds a 94 point rating from UK Master of Wine, Tim Atkin, 93 points from the 2019 Decanter World Wine Awards and a 92 rating from the French based 2019 Gilbert & Gaillard International Challenge.

This has been a remarkable year for the Platter’s 5-star TOKARA Reserve Collection Elgin Sauvignon Blanc 2018. Besides its 5-star status, the wine is a 2019 FNB Top 10 Sauvignon Blanc, it garnered a Gold medal at the Sommelier Wine Awards in London and received a 93 point rating in Tim Atkin’s 2019 South Africa Special Report.

Tokara winemaker Stuart Botha & Viticulturist Aidan Morton with their platter’s 5-star cache.

This acclaimed Sauvignon Blanc stems from TOKARA’s Highlands farm in Elgin, an area producing some of the best cool climate renditions of this variety, with fresh acidity and purity of fruit in perfect balance. The wine entices with inviting aromas of granadilla and cape gooseberries subtly interplayed with lemongrass, while zesty grapefruit lends amazing freshness.

Crafted from the same Elgin Sauvignon blanc vineyards, the TOKARA Reserve Collection Sauvignon Blanc Noble Late Harvest 2017 has a brilliant golden hue. This awe-inspiring dessert wine is made from 100% botrytised Sauvignon blanc grapes left to hang on the vines to develop their sought after flavour intensity. In perfect balance between sweetness and acidity, the wine teems with honey, dried fig, apricot and quince with hints of lemon grass and spicy notes typical of botrytised grapes, but ending in a surprisingly dry finish.

For online wine purchases, visit www.tokara.com.