Luxury replacement

Now that Richie Rich and his billionaire buddies have hijacked the Cape Winemarketers Guild annual auction and pushed the price of our Kanonkop house wine into the stratosphere, the game is on for luxury replacement: wines from similar terroir and similar pedigree at a fraction of the auction price. My first discovery is Les Sweidan’s High Road Classique 2012 which I opine about this morning in coffee shops all over the country in The Times.

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Bottle of the Week: The High Road Classique 2012

How much? R125

Where? www.thehighroad.co.za (shipping is free)

Why? Are there any alternatives to the Kanonkop Paul Sauer 2012 red blend which

averaged R1689 per bottle before VAT at the recent Cape Winemakers Guild Auction?

Les Sweidan makes a most acceptable 2012 High Road Classique blend from Stellenbosch

grapes at R125 a bottle and tasted blind, I wonder how many people could tell the difference

between the two.

The Kanonkop grapes come from the Simonsberg while the High Road is located at the top

of the Helderberg. Both wines are blends of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet

Franc and both are styled in the classic traditions of Bordeaux. Which is probably why Les

gave his the jaunty Gallic moniker “Classique.” Only 26 barrels were made, so this is no

industrial beverage and delivery countrywide is for his account.

Rating: ****

*****: El Camino Real

****: Highway 61

***: Route 62

**: Chapman’s Peak Drive

*: North Yungas Road, Bolivia