The vineyards of Fable Mountain
2014 Fable Mountain
'Night Sky'
(One of the most consistently top-rated
South African reds.... at its best price ever!)
Normal Best Pricing: $25-35.
(Currently $34 on wine.com, e.g.)
Our price: Only $12 on 1! Buy here.
And only $10 by the case! Buy here.
TL; DR: At its usual $25-30+ price? This organic, high-elevation “GSM” red (Grenache, Syrah & Mourvèdre), consistently one of South Africa's top-rated reds (it gets scores of 92 and 93 on the regular from the magazine men) is already a freakish deal! But at over 50% off? This is one of the best deals we'll likely pull off all year... and just in time for grilling season!
“Tucked thousands of feet up the Witzenberg Mountains, Fable Mountain produces organic reds of absolute pleasure. Their Night Sky is modeled after the Southern Rhône, and at $25 [sic] it’s an outrageously delicious value.”
-Ian Cauble, the somm from SOMM
Fable Mountain at dusk
Some wineries seek to cultivate a manicured, golf-course like feel; you'd be forgiven for thinking they're more interested in hosting destination weddings than they are in making terroir-specific wines of soul and place.
Others? Why they're so spectacularly rugged you realize immediately you're in one of the earth's most interesting and extreme spots - no lawn tweezers required! Such is the case with Fable Mountain Vineyards, in South Africa's Tulbagh region.
This is our vinous earth at its most extreme: start with a two hour drive from Cape Town... then dodge baboons (furreals!) through a mountain pass... then drive many miles up a deserted dirt road... and only then do you arrive at a farm nestled snugly up against the base of the Witzenberg Mountains. You'll immediately realize that this is a special place: you've arrived at Fable Mountain.
Tremayne Smith, in the baboon-proof cellar
More impressive than the views? The fact that they make wines that match their astonishing place on earth! Head winemaker Tremayne Smith is aware of his place on the "edge," and as deliberate and thoughtful a winemaker as any in South Africa. Hands and hooves "on" in the vineyard (hand-harvested, hand-sorted, and with Nguni cattle and Merino sheep grazing the vineyards); hands "off" in the cellar, with a minimalist approach designed to let his organically farmed terroir do the talking.
And does it ever! Their "Night Sky" bottling consistently marks as one of the highest-rated South African Rhône reds... and it's no wonder why! Sourced from west-facing, high-elevation 
Fable Mountain's Night Sky
Their 2014 Night Sky is a gorgeous deep ruby in colour. Black currants, blueberries, and black cherries abound, with grilled herb and licorice notes as well. Soft spice notes, medium tannins and the sort of lively acidity that comes from 500-600 meters of elevation. It all makes for a wine that competes with the best red blends of South Africa and the southern Rhône both. (What's more? As delicious as it to drink now, this will also cellar for a decade, easily!)
And at our all-time, freakishly low price? For a wine that regularly scores 92's and 93's from the world's top wine critics? Right in time for summer grilling season? This won't last long!
2014 Fable Mountain
'Night Sky'
Normal Best Pricing: $25-35.
(Currently $34 on wine.com, e.g.)
Our price: Only $12 on 1! Buy here.
And only $10 by the case! Buy here.
(That's up to 70% off its usual MSRP, when bought by the case!)