Simonsig Labyrinth Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

Deep garnet red colour. The nose shows bright red currant and black mulberry fruit backed by cedary oak tones. Spicy, vanilla flavours unfold on the palate with cigar box and a hint of pencil shavings, so typical of Cabernet Sauvignon. Full bodied with a smooth tannin structure holding lots of promise for further improvement with careful cellaring.

Rare Roast Beef, Leg of Lamb or Cheese.

variety : Cabernet Sauvignon [ 100% Cabernet Sauvignon ]
winemaker : Johan Malan
wine of origin : Stellenbosch
analysis : alc : 13.94 % vol  rs : 1.9 g/l  pH : 3.63  ta : 5.4 g/l  
type : Red   wooded
pack : Bottle  closure : Cork  

AWARDS
2005 2009 Platter s Guide: 3.5 stars
2004 Swiss International Air Lines Wine Awards 2008: Bronze Medal
        Michelangelo International Wine Awards 2008: Gold Medal
2003 Veritas 2007: Silver
2002 Veritas 2006: Gold
2000 2003: SAA Business Class
        1.5L: Veritas 2007: Bronze Medal
1998 Wine Enthusiast: Special Annual Awards Issue listed as one of the
        Top 100 Wines of the Year — 93 points
1996 Veritas 1998: Gold
        SAA Winelist 1999: International Long Haul
    

ageing : Soft and perfectly drinkable now but should benefit from further ageing over the next 4 to 5 years.

in the vineyard : Simonsig has been producing Cabernet Sauvignon since 1976 and achieved early success when the 1977 vintage won the General Smuts trophy after being judged as the Champion Wine of South Africa. Simonsig replanted and expanded its planting of Cabernet Sauvignon over the last decade and it now has mature vineyards planted with the best clones available in South Africa. These shy bearing vineyards are planted on deep red weathered granite and shale soils with high moisture holding capacity. This minimises the need for irrigation and gives great concentration of flavour. Our terroir in Stellenbosch has proved over many years to be the best area in SA to grow the finest quality red wines.

The 2003 vintage was very good in terms of quality and quantity, especially after downy mildew destroyed a large part of the 2002 crop. A cold winter with sufficient rains was followed by a healthy dry growing season. Cool conditions caused slow evenly paced ripening. The effects of our Cabernet Sauvignon planting program over the last few years made a positive impact on the quality of Cabernet Sauvignon this vintage. The quality coming from these young healthy vines is exciting and it is showing a lot of promise for the future.

about the harvest: It was a very dry growing season with a cool spring and early Summer. Temperatures
rose in January and the mercury rose above 30¡ Celsius on a regular basis in February
and March. More days above 32¡C were experienced compared to the long term average.
The cool conditions coupled with many windy days delayed the start of the vintage by
7 — 10 days. Winter rainfall was average (629 mm) but the summer was much drier than
the average. Early March showers refreshed and rejuvenated the late season varieties
like Cabernet. The cool spring resulted in small berries which always lead to more
concentration of fruit flavour. The colour is very concentrated and the fruit is very dense.
In the cellar cooler fermentations with more aeration made the Cabernets softer with juicy
berry fruit. Overall the Cabernet is the standout red variety of the 2006 vintage.

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Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon
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Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon
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Cabernet Sauvignon