caption=”De Toren owner Emil den Dulk’s philosophy on winemaking.”][/caption]“The Truth is in the Vine”
That’s the philosophy of Emil den Dulk, an affable, hands-on owner of the De Toren Private Cellar, one of South Africa’s unique cultivars where farming practices that are environmentally friendly are a must.
Adding to its mystique, De Toren only makes two wines: De Toren Fusion V and De Toren Z. De Toren V is a world-class bordeaux blend, mostly of cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc, that exemplifies some of the best clarets in Bordeaux. And yes, this is coming out of South Africa, in the Stellenbosch wine region. He boasts of making this French-style blend that incorporates all five bordeaux grapes, which also include merlot, petit verdot and malbec.
Here’s what makes this wine so special and what distinguishes its production out of Stellenbosch and not Bordeaux, according to Thaddeus. “The wine has a great composition of fruit and tannin structure with the cab franc playing a very vital role. The tannins were firm, thanks to the fruit’s profile — black currant, licorice and tobacco — and its strong integration with French and American oaks, which it hangs in for 12 months, allowing it to age well.
This is a value wine at its best — $45 for a wine that would cost at least twice that if it came out of France.
De Toren’s Z is the little brother to the V — zippier, more refreshing wine with softer tannins more integrated into the fruits that make it drinkable now.

Here’s a bonus: Driefonte nin Shiraz 2004 — It’s a Rhone blend that Emil is collaborating with a Frenchman still in the experiment stages. Thaddeus found it to be “typical” of a Rhone-blended wine with dark fruit that had spice and licorice with black currant. The finish had structure with hints of white pepper and great potential. And if there’s a downside, it’s the alcohol level at 14.3%.
P.S. Thaddeus got to taste barrel samples of malbec and petite verdot that he says are as good as any single-barrel varietal that he’s ever tasted and would make great wines on their own.