Keet Wines - First Verse 2021

The First Verse 2021 is the flagship single wine of Keet Wines, a project spearheaded by viticulturist-oenologist Chris Keet in the heart of Stellenbosch. From the slopes of Helderberg, Simonsberg, Stellenbosch Mountain and Polkadraai, the estate hand-selects its grapes to craft a wine of precision and harmony.
This vintage, following a cold, wet winter and a cool, drawn-out ripening season, yielded fruit of exceptional phenolic ripeness and freshness. The wine matured for 19 months in French oak before blending, allowing each component to evolve gracefully.
Picture an evening on the Stellenbosch hillsides: the golden light of sunset, the mountain amphitheatre visible, and you pour this wine into your glass – plums, cassis and violets rise in the glass, the tannins slowly unfold, and you savour the luxury of a wine that is both refined and deeply rooted in terroir.

Tasting notes

On the nose, expect ripe mulberry, blackberry and cassis, intertwined with clove, cedarwood and subtle herbal layers.
The palate offers dense black cherry, plum and bramble fruits framed by fine-grained tannins and a lifted red-berry acidity. The finish is long and dry, with touches of graphite and tobacco leaf.
Alcohol: 14.5%
Residual Sugar: ± 2 g/L
Ageing potential: 10 to 15 years and beyond.

Food pairing recommendations

This wine pairs beautifully with high-end red meats such as grilled rib-eye or lamb rack, game meats like venison, matured hard cheeses and richer poultry dishes like duck breast or pheasant served with dark berry sauces. For the more adventurous, it also works beautifully with seared tuna.

Cellarmaster’s Comments:
The Cabernet Franc adds the spicy, restrained elegance and fine- grained tannins, the Merlot introduces plum and red berry flavours, while the Cabernet Sauvignon provides rigidity with firm tannins and blackberry and cassis flavours. The rich and ripe mulberry flavours of the Malbec are balanced by the fresh red berry acidity provided by the Petit Verdot. The 2021 First Verse is a fine reflection of this exceptional vintage with harmony, elegance and power summing this wine up. Enjoy the wine with poultry, red meat, seared tuna or matured cheese. 

Varietal Composition: The 2021 First Verse is a blend of 39% Cabernet Franc, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Malbec, 6% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot.

A perfect Bordeaux-style blend.

Estate: Keet Wines