The 2024 Leeu Passant Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignon is a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Helderberg Mountain, made by Mullineux & Leeu Family Wines. Grown on organically farmed, single estate vineyard parcels at 300 metres, where the slopes transition into granite-rich soils, it is a cool-site Cabernet built around refinement, poise and seamless balance rather than raw power. Sitting at a restrained 13.5% alcohol with fresh acidity, it is a classically proportioned Stellenbosch Cabernet from an exceptional vintage, with only 1 638 cases made.

The vineyard parcels sit at 300 metres on the transition to the granite-rich slopes of the Helderberg Mountain in Stellenbosch, an organically farmed, naturally cool site. The 2024 vintage was harvested in three picks between 10 and 17 March 2024, at a yield of six tons per hectare, which translates to 36 hectolitres per hectare.

At the Leeu Passant winery the grapes were destemmed into tanks with only a minimal addition of sulphur. Fermentation started naturally with indigenous yeast, followed by daily cap management over roughly 14 days and an extended maceration. The wine was then drained and pressed into barrels, where it stayed until the latter part of winter, when it received its first racking and blending.

Maturation began in 500L French oak barrels, with one-third new oak. The wine was then racked and blended into larger format oak, where it matured for a further sixteen months before being bottled on 16 October 2025. The aim throughout is to preserve both elegance and generous concentration, and let the vineyard’s terroir come through.

Tasting Notes: World class. Deep in colour, the 2024 Leeu Passant Cabernet Sauvignon opens with expressive aromas of black berries and mulberry leaf, lifted by subtle notes of crushed dried thyme. The palate carries that purity forward, revealing layers of sapphire plum framed by fine, silky tannins that give the wine a rich, rounded mouthfeel without any heaviness. The finish is poised and long, with a beautifully refined freshness that keeps the wine lively and pulls you back to the glass. Serve at 16 to 18°C to show it at its best.

Food Pairing: Structured, refined red with notes of black berries, mulberry leaf, and thyme, making it ideal for rich, savoury dishes. This is a Cabernet that suits the table. Its fine tannins and fresh acidity make it a natural partner for grilled or roasted red meat, from a seared beef fillet or aged rib-eye to a herb-crusted rack of lamb, where the crushed thyme note in the glass echoes the herbs on the plate. It also works beautifully with slow-roasted lamb shoulder, mushroom dishes and aged hard cheeses, and its freshness keeps richer sauces and charred flavours in balance. For a simple pairing, a good steak with roasted garlic, rosemary and a red wine jus is hard to beat.

From the Helderberg. Matured partly in 500-litre barrels (one-third new) before extended time in larger oak. Red and black berries, violets and herbs on the nose. The palate shows clarity of fruit, lively acidity and fine tannins. Sappy and relatively unforced, eschewing the heft of more orthodox examples. Alc: 13.5%.’ – Christian Eedes, Winemag.co.za, 94/100

ANALYSIS: ALC 13.5% | TA 5.5g/L | pH 3.57 | RS 1.6g/L