variety : Cabernet Sauvignon [ 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot ]
winemaker : De Wet Viljoen
wine of origin : Stellenbosch
analysis : alc : 14.20 % vol rs : 2.40 g/l pH : 3.61 ta : 5.40 g/l
type : Red style : Dry body : Full taste : Fruity wooded
pack : Bottle closure : Cork
in the vineyard : Background
The Neethlingshof estate in Stellenbosch, owned equally by Distell and LUSAN, takes its name from its 19th century owner, Marthinus Laurentius Neethling, who served as mayor of Stellenbosch and was also a member of the Cape Parliament.
A member of the Biodiversity & Wine Initiative, acknowledged for its protection of indigenous habitat, the 378 ha winery has set aside 127 ha for conservation. It cultivates both red and white varietals, with the bias marginally in favour of whites. The major red varietals are Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Malbec and Pinotage. The predominant soil types found on the farm are Oakleaf and Tukulu.
This wine is made from a blend of Cabernet sauvignon (62%) and Merlot (38%).
The vineyards
Both grape varieties grow in Tukulu soils on south-western and south-eastern slopes, with the Cabernet sauvignon at 120m to 150m above sea level, and the Merlot at 290m above sea level.
The Cabernet sauvignon vines were planted between 1991 and 1993, and the Merlot vines in 1985. Both are trellised onto a five-wire vertical fence-type system. The Cabernet sauvignon vines, which yielded 5 tons per hectare, were irrigated, while the Merlot vines, with its low yield of 4 tons per hectare, grow under dryland conditions.
in the cellar : The varieties went through separate fermentation in rotation tanks at 25° to 28°C, after inoculation with Vin 13. After malolactic fermentation, both varietals were aged in second-fill French oak for eight months.