Colour: Dark ruby
Bouquet: Aromas of blackcurrant, cassis, chocolate and mocha.
Palate: Ripe blackberry and currant, mocha and a hint of oak spices with firm, but supple tannins.
Excellent served with rosemary-infused lamb, petit poussin with thyme, seared AAA rump, fillet or sirloin, or Châteaubriand
variety : Cabernet Sauvignon [ 100% Cabernet Sauvignon ]
winemaker : Wilhelm Pienaar
wine of origin : Coastal
analysis : alc : 14.78 % vol rs : 2.38 g/l pH : 3.64 ta : 5.85 g/l
type : Red style : Dry body : Medium taste : Fruity wooded
pack : Bottle closure : Cork
in the vineyard : Background
Tradition and talent blend with passion, precision and patience at Nederburg, where classically structured wines are made with vibrant fruit flavours. Nederburg's hallmark combination of fruit and finesse continues to be rewarded around the world. The winery was recently chosen as the Winery of the Year in the Platter's South African Wine Guide, with an unprecedented five of its wines across the multi-tiered range earning five-star ratings in the 2011 edition. Nederburg also triumphed in Australia at the 2010 Tri Nations Wine Challenge, winning the trophy for top dessert wine. It was also awarded the trophy for the most successful producer on the Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show in 2008 and again in 2009 and produced the winning Shiraz in the 2008 Lexus WINE Shiraz Challenge. These are just some of the many accolades earned by Nederburg where hand-crafted, micro-cuvées for specialist winelovers and beautifully balanced and accessible wines for everyday enjoyment are made with equal commitment.
As Distell's biggest wine brand, Nederburg is exported to key global markets in the UK, Europe and North America, where it is steadily building a presence and reputation for classically styled wines with fruit-rich flavours. Its growing success as a global lifestyle brand is the result of an extensive infrastructure that includes ongoing viticultural research, implementation of pioneering vineyard practices, sourcing of top-quality grapes; major investment in cellar facilities and an international marketing and distribution network.
Razvan Macici heads the team as Nederburg cellarmaster. He is supported by two winemakers who work closely under his direction. They are Wilhelm Pienaar, who produces the red wines and Tariro Masayiti, who makes the whites.
The Manor House Collection
Nederburg’s landmark Manor House that forms the centerpiece of the winery is the inspiration for its hand-made, varietal, "best of best" collection produced from top-performing vineyards. The right of first selection belongs to Manor House. The viticultural and winemaking teams work jointly to identify fruit in each vineyard for the collection. Hand-picked grapes that stand out for their fine balance of fruit, acid and sugar, for their exceptional concentration and depth of aromas and flavours are reserved for Manor House wines.
This wine is made entirely from Cabernet Sauvignon grapes.
The grapes were sourced from two dryland sites in the Paarl region. The vineyards are grown in red/yellow Tukulu/Clovelly soils ideal for root penetration due to its good water-holding capacity and limited compactness. Both sites are low-yielding and produced small-berried, loose bunches picked at good phenolic ripeness. While Cabernet bunches tend to be fairly compact, the prevailing micro-climatic conditions were conducive to a looser bunch formation, making for a more even ripening. The lower altitude fruit, contributing 60% to the blend, provided the strong aromatic features and dark fruit flavours, while the higher altitude fruit provided the red fruit, herbaceous and gooseberry qualities.
in the cellar : Open-top fermenters were used for a greater measure of control. Their large surface area provided an excellent ratio between the cap and the wine itself, thereby enhancing colour and eventual flavour. The wine was matured in a combination of new-, second- and third-fill small, French oak vats for a period of 12 to 14 months prior to blending. It received a light egg-white fining before filtration.