Colour: Dark ruby.
Bouquet: Cherries, blackcurrant and prunes with tobacco, dark chocolate and oak
spices in the background.
Palate: A mixture of dried fruit, spices and dark
chocolate with a smooth and slightly tannic palate. It has a long finish with a
hint of spice at the end.
A perfect partner for steaks, rich oxtail and casseroles, as well as pizzas and pastas.
variety : Cabernet Sauvignon [ 100% Cabernet Sauvignon ]
winemaker : Estelle Lourens
wine of origin : Stellenbosch
analysis : alc : 14.69 % vol rs : 3.6 g/l pH : 3.5 ta : 6.16 g/l va : 33.6 g/l
type : Red style : Dry taste : Fruity wooded
pack : Bottle closure : Cork
in the vineyard : Background
The farm Uitkyk, situated on the south-western slopes of the Simonsberg, was established in 1712. The estate’s neo-classical manor house, completed in 1788, is thought to be the work of the French architect Louis Michel Thibault, who was active at the Cape at the end of the 18th century.
Vineyard Location
Uitkyk Estate is 600ha in size with 140ha under vines. An interesting variety of cultivars are planted on the estate: Chardonnay, Sémillon, Chenin blanc, Viognier, Pinot Grigio, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Shiraz, Pinotage, Sangiovese, Mourvédre, Petit Verdot and Pinot noir. All the vineyards are planted in deep red, decomposed granite soil.
The Cabernet Sauvignon grapes were sourced from the famous "Bordeaux" block. These vines were planted between 1989 and 1993 on nematode resistant rootstocks and are a combination of 3 clones: CS203, CS46B and 15. The vineyard is planted in deep, red soil originating from decomposed granite and facing north-west at 300m above sea level. Supplementary overhead irrigation was necessary.
Viticulturist: Eben Archer
in the cellar : Fermentation was completed in a combination of rotation tanks and open fermentors at 26° - 28° C until dry. Pure yeast cultures (NT112, NT50, RG12 and D254) were used and the fermentation finished in 5-8 days. After pressing, a part of the wine went straight into barrels and a part was transferred to stainless steel tanks for malolactic fermentation.
Thereafter it was racked before being transferred to 300 litre barrels for a 17-19 month maturation period. During this period the wine was racked twice together with all the lees.
Mainly French wood (92%) was used in a combination of new (61%), second-fill (9%) and third-fill (30%) barrels.