You’d expect South Africa to be hot, right? The sun-soaked plains outside of Stellenbosch and the colossal mountains that crown every landscape. Further north, a healthy population of giraffes, lions, buffalo, rhinos, and elephants.
But wind up, up, up those mountains to find the cooler side of South Africa. It snows here, which doesn’t make it an outwardly appealing wine region but Cederberg trudges on anyway. All the work is worth it–Cabernet Sauvignon ripens to its most elegant here, so expect breathy, complex, highly ageable Cabernets packed with cedar wood, black current, pine, and cassis. It’s dense and dark but mineral and cool.
The best part? These Cabernets are exacting in quality but incredibly value driven—this one costs the same as entry-level Napa, but tastes as if you should add a few zeros to its sticker price. $70
Kate Dingwall is a sommelier and wine writer. Her work frequently appears in Wine Enthusiast, Eater, Forbes.com, Vogue, and Food & Wine, and she pours wine at one of Canada’s top restaurants.