Vilafonte 2022 Series C 750ml

The Vilafonté 2022 Paarl Series C is 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 10% Malbec and 10% Cabernet Franc. The wine ages in French oak for 22 months, with 70% new oak. The barrels are mostly Taransaud with thinner staves for better oxygen exchange during fermentation to set the wine's deep colors and velvety appearance. The Malbec component also helps to draw out the wine's pretty color saturation. This wine was a little shy during my tasting, and this bodes well for its future ability to evolve in the bottle. However, you do taste good clarity with sweet blackberry and spice over the full-bodied mouthfeel.

Score: 95+ points -- Monica Larner, The Wine Advocate, 2025