THELEMA RABELAIS 2021

Gyles Webb abandoned his accounting career in Durban to become a winemaker. In 1983, with the help of his wife’s family, the McLean’s, Gyles bought Thelema. The beginning of a family legacy. The manor house was restored and the first wines under the Thelema label were released in 1988. By the mid 90’s Thelema’s wines sold out within a month after release, making it one of the most sought-after wine estates in South Africa. The Webb family describe Thelema as “one of the most beautiful places on earth”. As Thelema in Stellenbosch continued to flourish, Gyles embarked on a search for an additional property in order to establish a second vineyard. In 2002, the Webb family purchased an idyllic farm with an undulating landscape, in the cool Elgin region, creating ideal grape growing conditions.

Winery notes (2021 Vintage)
"Francois Rabelais was a sixteenth – century French writer. His first novel describes an abbey on the banks of the Loire named Thélème where only one rule was observed: "Do what thou wilt!" Thelema is family run and has been making wine since 1988. The finest red wine of the vintage, blended from Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot, honours the man who gave us our name.

Indulge in the rich symphony of flavours offered by this exquisite Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot blend. A full-bodied marvel, it opens with a harmonious dance of dark berries, cassis, and plums, layering velvety textures with hints of vanilla and cedar. The elegant marriage of Cabernet's structural finesse and Petit Verdot's opulent depth creates a tapestry of ripe tannins and balanced acidity, culminating in a long, graceful finish that leaves lingering impressions of black cherry and a touch of tobacco. This blend epitomizes the art of complexity and refinement, inviting you to savour every nuance with each sumptuous sip."

96/100 Jamie Goode, WineAnorak.com, December 2023 (2021 Vintage)
"This is Thelema’s Flagship red wine made from the best Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot on the estate. It’s juicy and alive with bright red cherry and blackcurrant fruit, showing amazing focus with good acidity. Combining concentration and freshness, this has some notes of mint and chalk, as well as a twist of rosemary and thyme, but with the main focus being the vital, energetic blackcurrant fruit with some red fruit tartness. Very fine, and potentially long lived. There’s no fatness here at all: it’s fully ripe, but there’s no hint of overripeness. Think great Barolo crossed with great Bordeaux."

17.5/20 Jancis Robinson, JancisRobinson.com, December 2023 (2021 Vintage)
"Deep crimson. Lifted, herbaceous (but by no means unripe) nose with real savoury depth and admirable length and balance – all the hallmarks of a tip-top wine, in fact. Nice spiciness (perhaps from the Petit Verdot). This really illustrates how woefully underpriced South Africa's top wines are. Just before this wine, I tasted Cardinale 2019 – an intensely flattering and beautifully balanced Napa Valley star. I was afraid this would seem a scrawny little upstart but I was entirely wrong. I'm still tasting its charms a full minute after swallowing it. Back I go to make the comparison and the Thelema is standing up well! Although, admittedly, it lacks quite the richness on the middle palate of the Cardinale 2019. But after two years or 18 months in bottle, the Rabelais may take on more weight."