Winedrops Reviews: The Unbeatable Chocolate Block

In this Winedrops review, we’re tasting the newest release of Boekenhoutskloof’s The Chocolate Block, and it’s easy to see why it’s become the benchmark for the modern Cape Red Blend. This is a wine that has, quite rightly, captured the hearts of drinkers well beyond South Africa, and every Winedrops review we write about it starts from the same place: this bottle simply overdelivers for what it asks of you.

The philosophy behind it hasn’t shifted since the very first vintage. Just 15 barrels of The Chocolate Block were produced back in 2002, and today it makes up over half of Boekenhoutskloof’s entire business, a Syrah-led blend rounded out with Grenache, Cinsault, Cabernet Sauvignon and a splash of Viognier, built by Marc Kent and his team to deliver, vintage after vintage. It’s landed at Winedrops now, and for our members, at a price that genuinely stopped us in our tracks.

Our Winedrops Review Of The Latest Chocolate Block

Our Winedrops review lands on a wine caught beautifully between opulence and structure. Dark cocoa, espresso bean and smoked paprika lead the nose, giving way to a palate stacked with cassis, ripe plum and Black Forest gateaux. Soft, well-integrated tannins carry through to a long, savoury finish lifted by garrigue. It’s a wine built to drink tonight or cellar for years, and the balance here is the real story every Winedrops review of this bottle ends up circling back to.

The Scores Behind Our Winedrops Review

Recent vintages of The Chocolate Block have consistently caught the critics’ attention, and no Winedrops review would be complete without putting our own tasting notes up against theirs:

  • Decanter: 93 points — praised for its smouldering dark chocolate and blackcurrant character
  • Wine Spectator: 92 points — called a “stylish red” with expressive blackberry and espresso notes
  • Vinous: 91 points— described as “some achievement to produce a label of such scale at this level of quality”

Scores like these are exactly why our Winedrops review keeps coming back to the same bottle year after year — this isn’t a one-off vintage catching a lucky run of weather, it’s a wine that performs consistently at the top of its category.

Our Winedrops Review Of The Best Price On The Chocolate Block

Here’s the deal we simply can’t ignore. Our standard price is £25.00, but as a Winedrops member, you can secure this at just £10.00 a bottle.

Winedrops Membership Price: £10.00

Our Winedrops review makes the verdict obvious: this is the best price we’ve found on this wine anywhere in the UK, and it isn’t close.

Our Secret: Direct Sourcing

There’s no trick to it. We buy The Chocolate Block directly from Boekenhoutskloof and bring it straight from the cellar to our warehouse, cutting out the importers, distributors and wholesalers who each take their own slice along the way. That’s the entire reason this Winedrops review can point to a member price this far below the high street. It isn’t a flash sale dressed up as a bargain, it’s simply how our Winedrops membership works, day in and day out.

The Verdict From Our Winedrops Review

The Chocolate Block has earned its place as a cellar essential and a dinner-table regular, and stock at this price won’t last. Every Winedrops review we publish tries to find a bottle worth this much fuss, and this one clears the bar without breaking a sweat. Our Winedrops review keeps landing on the same verdict: this is the finest long-term price on a genuinely world-class red blend, and it’s reserved for our members. Join Winedrops today and pour yourself a glass of South African class before it’s gone.