in the cellar : Double Gold Winner at the International Michelangelo Awards in Johannesburg. Only five cellars received a double gold medal.
The making of the wine
The grapes were harvested on the farm of Schalk Le Roux who went through enormous trouble to practice correct viticultural practices. Pierre Snyman suggested that the best grapes should be selected to obtain maximum quality for the wine.
The grapes where monitored by taking grapes samples twice a week to obtain Ruby Cabernet grapes that was picked at optimum ripeness. During that time the juice was analysed to observe the grapes flavours and have the grapes harvested at the right time.
The grapes were picked at optimum ripeness and there where no green grapes between the bunches. The grapes were protected with Sulphur water to reduce oxidation during cellar activities.
At the crusher enzymes were added to exceed colour-extracting. The yeast tank was pumped full of carbon dioxide to again, protect the grapes from oxidizing.
The grapes underwent cold maceration, during which much of the grape flavours were extracted. Neutral yeast was used and the yeasting period lasted 8 days. The wine underwent malolactic fermentation spontaneously and the wine was lightly racked to preserve the wine as natural as possible. The wine underwent bulk filtration before going into wood for 8 months.
Twelve new oak vats were bought and the wine developed beautifully. It was constantly monitored and tasted. A wellknown winemaker tasted it at 10 months in the vats and he commented that it was a very good Cabernet Sauvignon but Ruby Cabernet! There was nothing wrong with his taste buds, it was just a perfect match between the wood and the Ruby Cabernet and it was also a sign that the Goudini Ruby Reserve of 1998 was on the right track. Thes also showed that we had to operate very carefully with the bottling process of the wine.
The wine was bottled with and mobile bottling unit after being in the vats for approx. 11 months and the wine was bottled and labeled on Goudini Wine Cellars premises.
A qoute from the "South African Wine" made by Dr. Olmo who was named the father of Ruby Cabernet.
"Dr. Olmos aim was to cross a peasant of prolific variety, namely Carignan, with royalty Cabernet Sauvignon. The result was that the wines wasnt that complex, but if the wines undergo subtle wood ageing, some interest can be added.