Great wines are rarely built from a single voice.
They are composed from many. Each one bringing something different. Structure. Aromatics. Texture. Colour. Spice. Freshness. And, ultimately, balance.
At De Toren, this philosophy sits at the very heart of our Fusion V.
A blend of five classic Bordeaux varieties, Fusion V is not about making five great wines and simply putting them together. It is about understanding what each variety can contribute, then purposefully shaping every component to create something greater than the sum of its parts.
The Five Building Blocks
Cabernet Sauvignon
As the dominant variety in the blend, it provides the structure, power, and robust tannins that give the wine its framework and longevity. It is also responsible for the dark-fruited character we associate so closely with great Cabernet Sauvignon from Stellenbosch, with cassis and blackcurrant providing depth and definition.
Merlot
Its softer, more chalky tannins contrast with the firmer structure of Cabernet Sauvignon, contributing texture, elegance and length to the blend. Our Merlot is naturally characterised by a higher acidity, allowing us to retain freshness and balance while tempering the plushness of the variety. It is this interplay between softness and acidity that makes Merlot such an important component in the architecture of Fusion V.
Cabernet Franc
It is the aromatic voice of the blend, bringing floral lift, violet notes and vibrancy, while sharpening the wine’s focus on fruit. Its contribution may be more subtle, but it brings an energy and aromatic dimension that gives Fusion V its sense of definition.
Malbec
Rich, plush and generous, Malbec brings colour, richness and a layer of sweet spice to the blend. It softens the edges of the more structured varieties, adding a sense of generosity and depth that makes the wine feel fuller and more complete.
And finally, Petit Verdot.
Used sparingly, this may be the smallest part, yet it carries remarkable influence. Petit Verdot contributes tannin and colour, while its exotic spice and distinctive violet character add another layer of complexity. It is not there to announce itself. Rather, it is the final detail that elevates the whole.
Five varieties. Five distinct purposes.
A Blend by Design
We are not in the business of making the best Cabernet Sauvignon, the best Merlot, or the best Cabernet Franc in isolation.
We are in the business of making the best Fusion V.
That distinction is fundamental to the way we work.
Every component is treated as a building block of a larger picture. We may harvest different blocks of the same variety at different moments, selecting each parcel when it expresses the particular character we are seeking. We pair individual components with specific barrels because we understand how their flavour profiles interact, always making each decision with the final blend in mind.
It is, in many ways, a puzzle.
Not every piece needs to be perfect on its own. Each needs to be right for the place it occupies within the whole.
And this philosophy became particularly important in 2022.
The Winemaker’s Vintage
The 2022 vintage stands alongside two exceptional predecessors, 2020 and 2021, but it tells a distinctly different story.
The season began with cooler conditions and a delayed ripening period before warmer weather accelerated the final stages of the season. Across South Africa, the 2022 vintage was marked by strong colour and flavour extraction, while Stellenbosch was expected to produce another classic vintage.
For our team, however, the defining characteristic of 2022 was not simply what the season gave us.
It was what we chose to do with it.
As temperatures increased towards the end of January and into February, harvesting decisions became increasingly important. Rather than waiting for every component to reach the same point of maturity, we looked closely at each vineyard block, tasting and assessing the fruit and making decisions according to the character we wanted to capture.
Some components were picked to preserve freshness, vibrancy and fruit, while others were given more time to develop darker fruit, depth and concentration.
The result is a Fusion V with a noticeably more vibrant red-fruit spectrum than its predecessors.
The Cabernet Sauvignon is particularly elegant in this vintage, with blackcurrant, red cherry and black cherry adding freshness to its classical structure. Cabernet Franc is similarly expressive and fruit-forward, while the blend as a whole retains the intensity, richness and depth expected of Fusion V.
This is what makes 2022 so fascinating.
It was not a vintage in which nature simply handed us every component at its perfect point simultaneously. It demanded more decisions. More tasting. More precision.
And that is where the winemaker becomes part of the vintage.
The result is a wine of remarkable intensity and structure, balanced by freshness and vibrancy, with beautiful length and the capacity to evolve gracefully over time.
A Greater Whole
Fusion V has always represented more than the five varieties from which it is made. It represents the decisions between them.
Each decision is deliberate. Each component has a purpose.
And when those components finally come together, the individual voices become something greater: a wine with its own identity, harmony and sense of place.
De Toren Fusion V 2022 is a reflection of the season, the place, and the careful decisions made in the cellar. As its release approaches, we look forward to sharing a vintage that captures the character of its year, as well as the precision, intuition, and intention behind every bottle.
