In the beautiful Constantia area, owner Lars Maack, together with winemaker Brad Paton, actually only produces wines in the top segment: fresh and full-bodied wines. The slow maturing climatic conditions with cold nights and modest daytime temperatures translate into fresh, crisp and full-bodied wines.

The Buiten Expectation Meifort is a blend dominated by Cabernet Franc supplemented with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, so with the typical Bordeaux grapes. The Meifort is given 24 months to mature in oak barrels. The result is a beautifully aged wine, ripe and with a long aftertaste. In the glass, the Meifort has a sparkling fresh ruby red color. In the nose we smell full and warm notes of elegant plums, red cherries, tobacco and a hint of vanilla due to the oak aging. In the mouth the wine is full bodied, creamy but certainly also with good acidity so that the wines have a nice backbone. The Buiten Expectation Meifort is a wine with an excellent price/quality ratio and is a good accompaniment to strong (grilled) meat dishes, lamb, game, pasta, pizza and spicy cheeses.

Verdict The Great Hamersma: 8.5
Fully oak raised burgundy trio. So a solid amount of blackcurrants, plums, dark cherries, roasted peppers, bay leaves, firm tannins and an enormous urge to roast or grill big and compelling meats are not entirely unexpected. An impressive amount of wine for this money.