My first invitation to Laibach Vineyards several years ago was to taste their range of wines in their newly built wine tasting venue. It had been one of those beautiful crystal clear days and we were gathered on the stoep outside the tasting room to enjoy the wines against the magnificent view of vineyards, gently rolling green hills leading to the dramatic backdrop of Table Mountain.

The management of Laibach knew the setting was one of the finest in the Cape winelands, so they installed a webcam which meant the world could at any stage witness the beauty from their computer at home. This was a first for a winery in the Cape and it still features on the front page of their website.

Originally named ?Good Success" it changed to Laibach in 1994 when businessman, Friedrich Laibach realized his 30 year dream of owning a vineyard. The farm is situated 10 kilometres outside of Stellenbosch on the foothills of the Simonsberg and surrounded by other fine wineries including Kanonkop and Warwick.

Since the Laibach family took over they have been practicing sustainable farming and the vineyards with the deep rich red soils have been replanted with virus-free clones and a modern winery has been built.

The initial vineyards for their organic farming were planted in the year 2000 and these gave birth to The Ladybird Red, a certified organic wine by the SGS (Societe Generale de Surveillance) which complies with International EU organic standards. Named The Ladybird after the little creatures which were introduced to the vineyards by winemaker Francois van Zyl, they successfully fight off the nasty mealybug (the carrier of the leafroll virus).

The Ladybird Red has been a phenomenal success for Laibach and each vintage sells out quickly sometimes even before the wine has been bottled! It does very well in competitions and each vintage regularly wins top awards with the most recent being the winning red wine in the Nedbank Green Wine Awards (a new competition to award the best wines made from Organically Grown Grapes). This was for the 2007 vintage.

I first tasted the 2008 vintage at Cru Cafe, the recently opened wine bar and restaurant in the new Cape Quarter in De Waterkant, Cape Town. Chef Wesley Petterson had prepared beef fillet with roasted garlic and potato cakes with a red wine and bone marrow reduction. Simply delicious and gave the wine a chance to show its excellent ability with food.

The Laibach Ladybird Red 2008 is a blend of the five Bordeaux varieties namely Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Malbec. Deep intense almost inky black colour with aromas of dark red fruits and hints of spice. The medium bodied palate shows a gorgeous richness with intense fruit flavour and beautifully balanced soft tannins on the lengthy finish.

Enjoy now but there would be no reason not to keep some back for a further 5 years.

Expect to Pay R92.00