in the vineyard : A Cape Blend should be seen as a wine that is unique to South Africa. It shall always contain some Pinotage, the only South African noble wine grape variety, of course, but the wine should have an identity of its own. We need to support the production of high quality Cape Blends from this country in order to secure a position next to other great red wine blends of the world. Here is an opportunity to collectively market a truly South African product to wine lovers everywhere.
in the cellar : A Cape Blend should be seen as a wine that is unique to South Africa. It shall always contain some Pinotage, the only South African noble wine grape variety, of course, but the wine should have an identity of its own. We need to support the production of high quality Cape Blends from this country in order to secure a position next to other great red wine blends of the world. Here is an opportunity to collectively market a truly South African product to wine lovers everywhere.
Blending the Asara Cape Fusion
There was a lot of excitement surrounding the blending of this wine, since it was our first attempt. The most important rule was that the components of the blend must firstly be of a high enough quality for the Estate label. Only then could we look at expressing the Cape Fusion characteristics. After careful evaluation we narrowed the components down to three cultivars from five different batches: two Merlots supplied elegance and fruit, two Cabernets for structure and depth and a great Pinotage that added complexity of flavour and aroma. The final blend was 35% Merlot, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon and 32% Pinotage.
Bottled on 6 October 2003.
Bottles produced: 10,300 x 750 ml and 1,300 x 375 ml.