Thelema “The Mint” Cabernet Sauvignon 2022

Gyles Webb (who abandoned his accounting career in Durban to become a winemaker) bought Thelema, a dilapidated fruit farm, in 1983 with his wife Barbara. Fruit orchards were pulled out and vines were planted. The manor house was restored and the first wines under the Thelema label were released in 1988. Situated on the South Easterly side of the Simonsberg Mountain with elevations 530m above sea level with mainly south-facing slopes, possessing some of the highest elevations in Stellenbosch. The high altitude and the rich red soils are ideal for premium quality wine grape production. “Through the understanding of our optimal climate and soil type, we have firmly entrenched ourselves as one of the leaders in Cabernet Sauvignon, placing Stellenbosch Cabernets firmly on the global wine map. As we believe grape quality is the single most important factor in serious winemaking, our policy in one of minimum interference, allowing the wines to be a true expression of each vineyard.

The source of the “mint” character is attributed to the airborne transfer from the Eucalyptus trees, which border this specific Cabernet Sauvignon Vineyard, to the grape berries. The berries outer wax layer adsorbs Eucalyptol, a compound responsible for the aroma, released into the air by the trees. It subsequently becomes dissolved during the fermentation process, which takes place on the skins, inevitably giving the wine a “minty” character unique to this vineyard.