Quest One 2011 receives 90 points in Winemag's 10-Year-Old Wine Report
Winemag’s 10-Year-Old Wine Report released a few days ago proves that Quest red wines can cellar up to at least 10 years.
The maiden vintage of Quest One was made in 2011. It was the first wine made for the Quest label alongside its red partner, Quest Two (Rhône Style). Soon the wines were awarded various South African accolades and follow-up vintages were made only when winemaker Willie Stofberg found exactly what he was looking for.
It all began in 2010 when Willie, Shawn (Du Toitskloof winemaker) and Leon Dippenaar (viticulturist) travelled through different wine regions in search of the purest fruit that the Western Cape had to offer. Willie wanted to create specific profiles from these little pockets of excellence for this new upcoming brand.
Quest One 2011 was inspired by the full-bodied French blends in the southwest of France. Deep in colour with dominating aromas of blackcurrant, plums, spice and cassis. Every new vintage, therefore, becomes a quest to find the different components that make up the perfect blend.
Here’s a quick Q&A with Willie Stofberg:
Q: What can you remember about the making of Quest One 2011?
A: The excitement. Everyone was so excited about this new project. One memory that comes back to me was of Leon, Shawn and myself at a vineyard in Darling. I remember looking at the premium quality of the grapes and feeling really privileged to select any grapes I desired for the making of Quest One 2011.
Q: How do you feel about the wonderful rating for your 10-year-old wine?
A: I feel proud to have been part of a really great team in sourcing the wonderful grapes that we used to make the blend. I also feel very happy, because this means that I did justice to the high-quality grapes that were entrusted to me when making the Bordeaux-style blend.
Q: Last year your latest vintage for Quest One (2017) was under Winemag’s Top 10 Cape Bordeaux Red Blends in South Africa, what is your dream with Quest One?
A: My dream is to continue making the wine for as long as I can, ensuring that every vintage hits the same mark in premium quality. The French always says that the making of a single variety is easy - the hard work comes in when you start blending, so every vintage is a challenge that I enjoy taking on again and again.
Q: What is your winemaking secret?
A: Attention to detail. You need to be part of every process to ensure top quality - from the vineyard through to the finished product.
Winemag‘s Top 10 Cape Bordeaux Red Blends
Quest One 2017
The last couple of cases are available exclusively from our online retailer Frogitt&Vonkel.