Lievland Vineyards, Coastal Region (South Africa) Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

 I have been majorly impressed by every Cabernet and Chenin I’ve tasted under this brand, as each one of them easily outperforms almost all of their comparably priced competitors — from anywhere — on quality and versatility.  They are also very smartly styled, by which I mean that they could be poured with pride by dinner hosts or ordered off a restaurant menu for a group including novices as well as serious wine lovers, with the former not being put off by anything too challenging, and the latter not disappointed by wines that seem even a little dumbed-down.  This Cabernet weighs in at medium-plus in body, with lovely aromatics including what the French would call “garrigue” accents, though these would be more appropriately and precisely termed “fynbos" in the context and terroir of South Africa.  These scents are complex and very appealing, and though they may be difficult to translate into descriptors that align with wines from outside of South Africa (which has a spectacularly diverse and unique plant kingdom, especially in the Cape region), there’s no question that they are wonderfully appealing.  A wine of place, in addition to a wine of very high quality, for $19?  But there’s more (I write, knowingly poking fun at my own seeming huckster-ism): On the palate, this shows a high ratio of flavor to weight, and also a high ratio of fruit to tannin, but with enough weight and tannin that the aforementioned “serious wine lovers” will get everything they want out of a glass of this.  Tasted twice, two weeks apart; loved both times.  Caterers and restaurateurs, take note.