Le Riche's Exceptional Platter's 2025 Ratings Reaffirm a legacy of Cabernet Sauvignon Excellence
11:30:00Celebrating Four 5-Star and Six 4½-Star Accolades
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| Le Riche's Platter's 2025 5-Star wines |
The annual launch of the esteemed Platter’s SA Wine Guide, including the announcement of Platter 5-Star wines, is one of the most keenly anticipated dates on the wine calendar and the Le Riche family could not be prouder of their Platter’s scores: Four coveted 5-Star ratings and three 4½-Star awards for their Cabernet Sauvignons, as well as two 4½-Stars for Cabernet Sauvignon blends, all from the prized Stellenbosch region. In addition, their Chardonnay 2023, a new vintage of the only white wine in their portfolio, was also lauded with 4½-Stars.
“It is a special honour to receive this distinction from the Platter’s Guide. This exceptional recognition for our Cabernet Sauvignons, the most 5-Stars awarded to one producer in the Cabernet Sauvignon category, cements our position as one of the top Cabernet producers in South Africa and highlights our unwavering commitment to producing the finest expression of Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignon,” says a delighted Christo Le Riche (Director and Cellarmaster).
LE RICHE’S 2025 PLATTER’S ACCOLADES
5-STAR AWARDS
Le Riche Cabernet Reserve 2021 (Sold out)
Le Riche CWG Auction Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 (Sold out at the 2024 Auction)
Le Riche Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 (Purchase online and at the cellar door @ R390 a bottle)
Le Riche Single Vineyard Jonkershoek Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 (Not yet released)
4½-STAR AWARDS
Le Riche Single Vineyard Simonsberg Cabernet Sauvignon 2021
Le Riche Single Vineyard Steynsrust Cabernet Sauvignon 2021
Le Riche Single Vineyard Bosstok Cabernet Sauvignon 2021
(A three-bottle pack of Le Riche Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignons can be purchased online and at the cellar door @ R3150 per pack)
Le Riche Vogelzang 2015: Cabernet Sauvignon-Cinsaut blend (Purchase online and at the cellar door @ R850 a bottle)
Le Riche Richesse 2022: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsaut, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Merlot blend (Purchase online and at the cellar door @ R230 a bottle)
Le Riche Chardonnay 2023: New vintage release (Purchase online and at the cellar door @ R390 per bottle)
“It is very gratifying to receive this validation for our Cabernets across our range, from the Le Riche Cabernet, the backbone of our range, to our flagship Le Riche Reserve, our CWG Auction Reserve, and our Single Vineyard Cabernets which tell the story of the amazing diversity Stellenbosch has to offer. A cherry on the top is the acclaim for our Chardonnay, the only white wine we produce,” Christo continues.
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| Le Riche's Platter's 2025 4½-Star Wines |
IN PURSUIT OF THE ULTIMATE EXPRESSION OF STELLENBOSCH CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Christo elaborates, "We will always stick to Stellenbosch when it comes to Cabernet. It is South Africa’s prime Cabernet territory and one of the great Cabernet regions of the world. Stellenbosch’s splendid geographical attributes, with an array of elevation, aspects, and ancient soils, and a Mediterranean climate with maritime influences lie at the core of the excellent quality of Stellenbosch Cabernet.”
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| Christo Le Riche |
LE RICHE CABERNET RESERVE 2021 (Sold out)
The coveted Le Riche Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, the flagship of the range, is a masterclass in the art of blending special Stellenbosch terroirs. The Cabernet grapes were scrupulously selected from best-performing vineyard parcels sourced from the Stellenbosch wards of Helderberg (67%) Simonsberg (22%) and Jonkershoek Valley (11%).
Platter’s pedigree: Over 25 vintages, the lauded Le Riche Reserve Cabernet has garnered widespread acclaim, including twelve Platter’s pinnacle five-star ratings (for the 1997 maiden vintage, 1999, 2000, 2005, 2007 Le Riche CWG Auction Reserve, 2011, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 Le Riche CWG Auction Cabernet Sauvignon and 2021 Le Riche Cabernet Reserve). The Le Riche Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon was also honoured with the Platter’s Red Wine of the Year award for the 2005 vintage and Platter’s Cabernet of the Year awards for the 2015 and 2019 vintages.
Tasting notes: “I like to describe the Le Riche Reserve 2021 as ‘an iron fist in a velvet glove’, a delicate tightrope of muscle and power, precision, balance, and seductive elegance,” enthuses Christo. The wine is massively expressive with fresh plums and blackberries, cherry, violet, and cassis grounded in classic cedar and graphite notes. Brooding and dense, yet sophisticated and elegant, the structure is powerfully firm with polished, fine-grained tannins and a remarkable balance. The palate is rich, velvety, and opulent yet remarkably fresh with a lively purity and a creamy mouthfeel. The wonderfully long, complex finish showcases the great potential for maturation.
LE RICHE CWG AUCTION CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2020 (Sold out at the 2024 Auction)
The Cabernet grapes were meticulously sourced from le Riche’s longest-standing single vineyard site planted in 1997 in Firgrove.
Platter’s pedigree: This is Le Riche’s second Platter’s 5-Star rating for their CWG Auction Cabernet Reserve. The first was the 2007 vintage made by Etienne Le Riche, now followed by Christo Le Riche’s 2020 vintage.
Tasting notes: This elegant wine with aristocratic poise, depth, and complexity shows generous plums, black cherries, and cassis with notes of cedar and dried herbs framed by a masterly interplay of tannin and oak. The palate is smooth and ethereal with fine silky tannins that flow into a long, balanced finish. Ready for drinking from 2025 to 2031.
LE RICHE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2022 (Available online and at the cellar door @ R390 a bottle)
The backbone of the Le Riche range, the wine is supple, elegant, and rich with layers of fruit. This is Le Riche’s expression of the quintessential Cabernet Sauvignon from Stellenbosch. The fruit for this wine is sourced from selected vineyard sites in the Stellenbosch wards of Simonsberg, Jonkershoek, and Helderberg.
Platter’s pedigree: This is Le Riche’s third Platter’s 5-Star rating for their Cabernet — for the 2000 vintage, the 2021, and now the 2022 vintage.
Tasting notes: This is a classic Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignon with vibrant notes of blackberry, plums, and fresh cherry, hints of cassis and spice, a delicious red and black fruit pastilles complexity, a voluptuous mouthfeel, and a long black cherry and cedar finish with a delicious touch of dark chocolate.
LE RICHE SINGLE VINEYARD JONKERSHOEK CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2021 (Not yet released)
The Le Riche Single Vineyard Jonkershoek Cabernet Sauvignon is one of four 2021 Le Riche Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignons. The Cabernet grapes were sourced from a 16-year-old low-yielding single vineyard in the Jonkershoek ward of Stellenbosch. Le Riche’s other three 2021 Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignons — the Simonsberg, Steynsrust, and Bosstok Cabernet Sauvignons — were released earlier in 2024 and received 4½-Star awards in the Platter’s 2025 Guide.
Tasting notes: “Ex cooler site, influenced by mountain shadow & breezes, oak as Steynsrust. 2021 exudes quieter confidence, with leaner, less muscular build than siblings. Not lacking expressive fruit, however, succulent berries, tannins lithe & supple, set for fine future. “ – Platter’s 2025 SA Wine Guide.
WINEMAKING
The Le Riche wines are made at the family’s bespoke winery in Raithby on the lower slopes of the Helderberg Mountain, between Stellenbosch and Somerset West. Following Le Riche’s ethos of quality, elegance, and consistency, their winemaking style is orientated around producing classic Cabernet Sauvignon that captures the detail, complexity, and heritage of the Stellenbosch region.
“Our winemaking philosophy starts where all great winemaking should— in the vineyard. We prefer to approach each block individually, placing great effort and knowledge into specifics such as soil health, canopy management, vineyard row selection, pruning, and the timing of the harvest. Meticulous attention and strategy ensure the identification of specific vines within the vineyard that will provide the ideal fruit needed for every wine in our range.
Once the grapes enter the Le Riche cellar, the team dedicates the same level of scrupulous care to working with the grapes to ensure the best expression of each site. The fermentation vessel, extraction method, length of skin contact, and ageing are all dictated by the vineyard. A minimum intervention winemaking approach allows the exceptional terroir to speak for itself. The vineyard blocks are micro-vinified separately up until final blending. Small batch fermentation in open-top concrete fermenters, manual plunging to ensure optimal colour extraction, extended maceration to increase ageability, and the use of high-quality French oak ensure the distinguished pedigree of Le Riche wines.
The final and most important step is blending. Our work in expressing each vineyard site and separating every fermentation all add to the building blocks of our Cabernet Sauvignon blends. The resulting wines show great elegance and class, consistently proving to be of superb quality and maturation potential,” explains Christo.
Le Riche is managed by four core members comprising Director and Cellarmaster Christo le Riche, Cape Wine Master and Export and Logistics Manager Yvonne le Riche, Commercial Manager Francois le Riche, and Assistant Winemaker Mark Daniels who has been with Le Riche Wines since the very beginning. While founder Etienne is now retired, he still acts in an advisory role, ensuring the winery continues the pursuit of the finest Cabernet.
Christo’s passion for Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignon drives Le Riche Wines’ search to understand the region better. He is a founder of the Stellenbosch Cabernet Collective, an organisation promoting the merits of the region’s Cabernets on a local and global stage. Following in his father’s footsteps, Christo is also a member of The Cape Winemakers Guild (CWG).
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Address: 8 Raithby-Annandale Road, Raithby, Stellenbosch
Email: wine@leriche.co.za
Tel: 021 842 3472
Open for wine sales: Monday to Friday: 9:00 – 16:00
Tastings by appointment only
Closed: Weekends and public holidays
Website: https://www.leriche.co.za/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Le.Riche.Wines/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/lerichewines/
X (Twitter): https://x.com/leRicheWines
Hashtags: #LeRicheReserve, #StellenboschCabernet, #Platters2025, #PlattersFiveStars, #LeRicheHeritage
Issued by: POSY & JEREMY HAZELL - PR & WINE CONSULTANT5S
Pictures: SUPPLIED
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