Members of BLACC (the Black Cellar Club) were recently hosted in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley by Bouchard Finlayson, where their visit included a cellar tour, followed by a wine tasting of current vintages, and barrel sample tastings of two classic Italian varietals, Nebbiolo and Sangiovese.

These, together with Pinot Noir, Shiraz, Mourvédre and Barbera, form the cornerstone of the estate’s lauded Hannibal red blend, which recently scored a Platinum award at 96.82 in the SAWi awards as 2017 runner-up in the Red Blend category. Earlier this year, Neal Martin of Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate, scored the 2014 Hannibal at 91 points, whilst the the same wine did equally well last year when it received 93 points from James Suckling; and 92 points in the Tim Atkin SA 2016 Report. It was also honoured by inclusion in the prestigious SA Sommeliers Selection in 2016.

Seen here (centre, back) is the founder of Bouchard Finlayson, Peter Finlayson with (left, back) BLACC Ambassador Aubrey Ngcungama and (left, front) Bouchard Finlayson winemaker Chris Albrecht, with visiting members of BLACC, including Sommeliers representing some of South Africa’s top hotels and restaurants.