​Cellar Favorite: 1949 Stellenrood Full-Bodied Burgundy

BY NEAL MARTIN | SEPTEMBER 21, 2026

The 1949 Full-Bodied Burgundy from Stellenrood could justifiably be given the sobriquet "last man standing" — this may well have been the last remaining bottle in existence. It became extinct the moment winemaker David Finlayson eased out the original cork at his Stellenbosch winery. I could see immediately that while the “Full-Bodied” part of the name was apposite, the “Burgundy” part was approximately 5,000 miles wrong. Nobody down in these parts much cared for appellation rules in those days.

My motivation for penning this Cellar Favorite is threefold. First, privileged to have drunk this rarity, I must dutifully document it for posterity as a historical artifact. This wine was mass-produced at the time, so perhaps another bottle will yet be unearthed. Second, it serves as a totem for ancient Cape wines, which have become highly coveted, with prices to match. In my experience, these wines can be hit and miss, often due to inappropriate storage, though at their best they are a source of wonder. Third, and most importantly: this bottle was never meant to be opened 77 years later. The fact that it still drank well is reason enough for a valedictory moment in the limelight.

The wine demanded some background research, since Finlayson himself was uncertain about what this vinous enigma actually was. What follows comes courtesy of Bennie Howard, one of the few remaining old-timers who worked in the South African wine industry in the 1970s.

Stellenrood was a brand made by Bertrams Wines, founded in 1902, which operated out of Constantia before relocating to the Devon Valley in Stellenbosch in 1959. This bottle predates that move, so Howard suspects the fruit came from various vineyards around Stellenbosch and Constantia. It would have been a classic blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cinsault, as this showing attested. At the time, Bertrams was known for structured wines, so there is a chance that some bottles were squirrelled away and forgotten. Bertrams’ winemaker taught Walter Finlayson, David's father, when the Finlayson family owned the Hartenberg Estate, which explains how this bottle ended up here. Bertrams was subsequently sold to the Gooderson family, who sold it on to Gilbey's in 1972.

The wine? Its clarity and iridescence lifted hopes that the bottle might still be drinkable. There is initially a lot of volatility, and I feared that it might tip over and be undone by exposure to oxygen. On the contrary, it magically coalesced into a quite intoxicating nose: eucalyptus, licorice and a hint of boiled sweets, astounding in terms of its fruit purity after almost eight decades. The palate is medium-bodied with a sweet entry: macerated red cherries and, again, eucalyptus, surprisingly silky in texture. Aniseed emerges on the finish and over 20 minutes it coheres further, becoming, against all expectations, ever more pleasurable. Remarkable. 92/Drink 2026-2040.

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