Colour: Deep ruby red.
Bouquet: Soft succulent fruitiness with youngberry, blackcurrent and spicy aromas and hints of vanilla.
Taste: Rich, sumptuous mouth-feel with clean delicate berry fruit flavours supported by gentle wood spices and mouth coating tannins.
The winemaker suggests drinking it on its own or with robust cheeses, game or red meat dishes.
variety : Cabernet Sauvignon [ 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot ]
winemaker : Bonny van Niekerk
wine of origin :
analysis : alc : 14.15 % vol rs : 2.47 g/l pH : 3.47 ta : 6.28 g/l
type : Red style : Dry body : Medium wooded
pack : Bottle size : 0 closure : 0
in the vineyard : Since the early 18th century, Zonnebloem has been a leader in the time-honoured craft of winemaking. Today this tradition lives on from the vineyards, tended by the same families for over three generations, to the meticulous craftsmanship in the cellar. This care and attention have resulted in range of great wines nurtured, handcrafted and slowly coaxed to perfection, until they are released at optimum quality. These full-bodied wines are well-structured to show varietal character with rich, robust flavours, yet remain accessible and easy to drink with a soft palate, and in the case of the reds, to last for five to 10 years.
The vineyards (viticulturist: Henk van Graan)
The grapes were sourced from trellised, dryland and irrigated vineyards in the Jonkershoek, Devon Valley, Stellenbosch Kloof and Helderberg areas. Mostly south-west facing, they derive the maximum benefit from cooling maritime breezes to ensure slow ripening and concentrated fruit flavours, with a yield of 8 to 10 tons per hectare.
about the harvest: The grapes were harvested by hand from mid-February to early April at between 23,5° and 25,5° balling when fruit and tannins were fully ripened but the berries and skins were still firm.