Glen Carlou winery is situated in the Paarl ward, on the northern slopes of the Simonsberg mountain. This is considered a prime growing area, and includes such Cape icons as Rupert & Rothschild and Plaisir de Merle. Established in the early eighties, and named for the first owner’s three daughters (named something like Glenda, Carina, and Louise, but we may have that slightly wrong…) Today, Glen Carlou is owned by the Hess Group (who also have an eponymous winery in Napa, Peter Lehmann in Australia, and Colome in Argentina), and has become one of the South African industry leaders. They also have an excellent restaurant, an art gallery (after wine, art is apparently Donald Hess’ next big passion), and a Zen Fynbos garden. Having been close followers of Glen Carlou for a over a decade, we can say that their wines are very consistent, and especially like their red Bordeaux blend, the Grand Classique.

 

Everyone is looking for value these days without having to scale down on quality or cutting back on their standards. On that note we feel that we have found a perfect wine to fit that criteria, the 2008 Glen Carlou Grand Classique. We have always been big fans of the Glen Carlou Grand Classique, as we feel that it has been one of South Africa`s most consistent red Bordeaux blends; more importantly, it is one of the best valued reds we have tried in the category. The just released 2008 is another noteworthy effort and keeps the streak alive, this particular vintage in a very big way.

The Wine Advocate just recently did a very compelling online review of the wines of South Africa and this was given a 92 pt score. We feel the score is justified as the winery has now cut back a little bit on the wine`s oak regimen, which is reflected in the fruit`s vibrancy and freshness. Considering the wine`s pricing and the overall consistency that his particular label has shown over the years, the 2008 Grand Classique represents outstanding value.