On more than one occasion I've had a customer (usually someone who has relocated from another country) lament the selection and quality of South African wines available in the United States. They insist that they're just not as good as the South African wines available elsewhere. One in particular is so enthusiastic about South African wines that when she went to visit family in Toronto for Canadian Thanksgiving last month, she brought us back a bottle of her favorite Cape Blend - Flagstone Winery Dragon Tree 2005.

Before I talk about the wine itself, I'll share the story behind the intriguing name, "Dragon Tree":

The wine takes its name from a Dragon Tree given to the Port Captain of Cape Town, by a passing ship's captain over 100 years ago which grows above our barrel maturation cellar. Originally from the Canary Islands this tree has blood red sap. Legend tells of a wicked Dragon who sat at the Pillars of Hercules and blasted ships with lashings of fire as they sailed past. Eventually she was mortally wounded and flew forlornly off to sea to die. Only where her blood landed on earth (on a few remote islands and around the edge of the Mediterranean) do Dragon Trees grow.

It is a blend of 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Pinotage, 10% Merlot, 10% Cab Franc, 6% Shiraz, and 4% Petit Verdot. It clocks in at 14.5% alcohol. Last night we cracked open the bottle and I'll be happy to report back to my customer that it was very enjoyable. It boasts a gorgeous deep, dense red color that lets you know this is going to be a very full wine. On the nose, loads of berry and dark fruit, yet a bit toasty at the same time. You could certainly call this a "fruit bomb" with nice, big tannins. Tons of fruit on the palate - dark cherry, berry, and although it sounds crazy, there was something that made my husband think of matches. So what to do? We each put an unlit match in our mouths to get the taste, then tried the wine again. Sure enough, a hint of unlit match (not sulfur, though - you really just need to try it yourself).

It's a mighty big wine, to be sure and it probably will mellow a bit with time. You can probably hold off on drinking this through 2010 from what I have read. Unfortunately, the wine didn't hold up well and when I poured a glass to taste to refresh my memory as I wrote this up, I found that the wine had lost a bit of its delightful characteristics. If you're able to find this (I don't believe it's distributed in the U.S., so you might need to make friends with a Canadian ;-) ) enjoy it the day you open it. All in all though, this is a yummy wine for those who like big, beat-you-over-the-head reds. If you're looking for something a bit more subtle, you'll probably want to pass.