The High Road

The High Road Boutique Cellar: Bosman's Crossing Bordeaux reds

The High Road is a Stellenbosch boutique cellar at 7D Distillery Road, Bosman's Crossing—walkable from town rather than tucked on a mountain pass. Since 2003 the brand has focused almost exclusively on limited-release Bordeaux-style reds: Cabernet Sauvignon at the core, supported by classic blending partners, matured in fine French oak, and released with a deliberately small footprint. Official home copy frames the house style as black and red fruit, delicate spice, Stellenbosch earthiness, soft tannins and fresh acidity—integrity “from soil to glass” rather than a sprawling visitor campus with restaurants and lawns.

If your Stellenbosch day usually means Helshoogte or Helderberg estates with picnic blankets and long lunch bookings, treat The High Road as a different stop: an intimate town-edge cellar for Bordeaux lovers who want appointments, conversation, and bottle allocation—not walk-up queues.

Wine tasting by appointment (official hours)

Official contact and home pages state:

• Address: 7D Distillery Road, Bosman's Crossing, Stellenbosch, 7600
• Hours: Monday–Friday 09:00–16:00
• Tasting: by appointment only
• Email: wine@thehighroad.co.za
• Phone: +27 21 886 4288 | mobile +27 64 850 3800

No tasting fee, flight length or pairing menu is published on the official pages reviewed for this guide. Ask when you book: which wines will be poured, how many guests they can host, whether Director's Reserve is open, and how long to allow. Do not invent rand prices from online bottle RRPs—retail and tasting fees are different products.

Practical tip: Book midweek if you can. Pair the appointment with other Bosman's Crossing / Distillery Road stops for a car-light morning, then drive out to a scenic estate for lunch. Members messaging on the official contact page notes priority allocation and invitations to cellar tastings for the mailing list—useful if you buy regularly, but day visitors should still book a standard appointment first.

Signature wines (confirm stock when you book)

Official “Our Wines” and shop pages organise the range around Bordeaux pillars:

• Cabernet Sauvignon — Stellenbosch Cabernet positioned as the accessible yet serious everyday bottle.
• Classique — Bordeaux-style blend (official product copy references Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc in the Classique line).
• Director's Reserve — flagship Bordeaux-style blend; official site highlights Trophy Wine Show recognition for the 2019 vintage (Riedel Trophy for Best Bordeaux-style Red Blend of Show, plus Premium and Best Red Wine of Show trophies at the 2023 show).
• Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve — exceptional vintages only, magnum format.

Shop listings on thehighroad.co.za also surface current vintages and formats (including magnums of Director's Reserve). Always confirm which bottles are open for tasting—allocation wines and older reserves may be limited. The Events page sometimes lists off-site dinners or public award tastings; those tickets are separate from cellar-door appointments.

The site attributes critical attention from panels including Tim Atkin MW, James Suckling, Platter's South African Wine Guide, the Trophy Wine Show and the Global Fine Wine Challenge. Cite those as brand claims from the official site; do not invent medals that are not listed there.

Philosophy & place

Four pillars appear on the official wines page: Stellenbosch terroir grape sourcing; a single-minded Bordeaux varietal focus; fine French oak from considered cooperages; and proprietary High Road Practices. Consultant winemakers are credited across many vintages. The cellar presentation is négociant-boutique in spirit—quality fruit and meticulous cellar work—rather than a large estate with published vineyard walks or self-guided trails.

Bosman's Crossing puts you near the Distillery Road cluster on Stellenbosch's edge: rare for a serious red-focused cellar. That geography suits visitors staying in town, using ride-hailing, or combining tastings without a full mountain loop. It is also easy to mis-file on a wine-route map as “just another industrial park stop”—the appointment tasting is where the brand’s Bordeaux focus becomes clear.

How to plan the visit

1. Email or call ahead—tastings are appointment-only on weekdays within published hours. 2. Ask for the current flight, duration, fee (if any), and whether sales of allocation bottles are possible on the day. 3. Allow parking / arrival buffer on Distillery Road; it is an industrial-edge precinct, not a manor driveway. 4. If you cannot get a slot, use the online shop and keep your day for estates with walk-in capacity. 5. Check the official Events page for occasional off-site dinners or public tastings—those are separate from cellar-door appointments.

FAQ

Is The High Road open on weekends?

Official hours list Monday–Friday 09:00–16:00 with tasting by appointment. Weekend cellar-door openings are not published—confirm directly if you need Saturday.

Do I need a car?

Not necessarily. Bosman's Crossing is toward the town edge and is often walkable or a short ride from central Stellenbosch—useful for a car-free red tasting morning.

Is there a restaurant or picnic lawn?

Official visitor messaging centres on cellar tasting and wine sales, not a restaurant campus. Plan food elsewhere unless the cellar confirms otherwise when you book.

Why book instead of walking in?

Because that is the only visitor path the brand publishes. Appointment tasting keeps the boutique cellar intimate and avoids wasted trips when the team is bottling, shipping or off-site.