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Ernie Els Signature 2008

Continuing its prestigious pedigree, the elegant vintage of 2008 has produced another Ernie Els Signature that is emphatically styled and unmistakably classy. The bouquet lures the sense into sheer pleasure with a fine balance of perfume, cured meats, soy sauce and blackberry notes. Full bodied and opulent, the blend of Bordeaux varieties is perfectly ripe and well poised, offering succulence and texture. Fluffy, cotton wool-like tannins eventually reign in this brooding, structured wine through to a long mesmerizing finish. Unbelievably tempting in its youth.


variety : Cabernet Sauvignon [ 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 5% Malbec ]
winery : Ernie Els Wines
winemaker : Louis Strydom
wine of origin : Stellenbosch
analysis : alc : 15.29 % vol  rs : 2.4 g/l  pH : 3.81  ta : 6.2 g/l  
type : Red  style : Dry  body : Full  taste : Fruity   wooded
pack : Bottle  size : 0  closure : Cork  

AWARDS
Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show 2012 - Silver
International Wine Challenge 2012 - Bronze Medal
Decanter World Wine Awards 2012 - Bronze Medal
Top 100 SA Wines 2012 - Bordeaux Blend - Status

ageing : Will age well throughout the next decade.

in the vineyard : The 2008 Vintage
Winter 2007 provided us with cold and rainy weather relatively early in the season. This was good for budding and especially beneficial for dam levels after a particularly dry spell during 2006. Spring brought about more rain and was accompanied by cooler than usual weather. These conditions encouraged extremely vigorous growth; controlling this proved an early challenge for viticulturists. The month of February was moderate and cool which led to the harvest being delayed by an average of ten days. These conditions allowed the grapes to ripen slowly to full ripeness while retaining good acid levels.

The usual Cape summer temperatures eventually arrived in March, the ripening process gathered momentum and most of our varieties were ready for harvesting simultaneously. This put pressure on cellar capacity and stretched human resources. The reds reached good phenolic ripeness, showing wonderful fruit purity with supple tannins and lower than usual alcohols. 

About the vineyard
All fruit was sourced from the Ernie Els Wines property which is situated in the Helderberg region within the Stellenbosch appellation. Each variety is separately managed to create unique and varied flavour profiles for the classic, 'Medoc-style', Bordeaux blend. The warm, north-facing slopes deliver rich, full-bodied red wines. With an altitude of approximately 250 metres above sea level and the cooling influence of the Atlantic Ocean just 15 kilometres away, the ripening period is extended by up to 3 weeks.

about the harvest: The grapes were hand-picked in the cool of early morning.
February / March 2008. 25.8° Brix average sugar at harvest.

in the cellar : Grape bunches were gently destalked with a Bucher de-stalker and lightly crushed. On the sorting table, all excess stalks and rotten berries were removed carefully by hand. Fermentation took place in 7-ton, open-top stainless steel tanks with yeast WE 372 being added to the juice. The wines were pumped-over and punched-down manually 5 times per day ensuring maximum colour extraction from the skins. After primary fermentation the maceration period was 10 - 16 days before pressing. Each variety is maturated separately (micro-vinified) in oak barrels before blending and eventual bottling.

Cooperage: Aged for 20 months - 300 litre French oak barrels (100% new).
Production: 1,135 x 6 x 750ml cases

find our wines in :

OTHER VINTAGES

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