Gabrielskloof The Blend 2010

Colour: Intense black cherry skin colour with a youthful, purple rim.
Nose: On the nose, the full, ripe red berry is the first promise of luscious fruit, followed by a welcoming tobacco, leathery layer with a hint of caramel. Finally, a herbaceous flintiness comes through.
Palate: The Blend has a full, velvety mouth feel with firm tannins and dark-chocolate complexity.

variety : Cabernet Franc [ 36% Cabernet Franc, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 9% Petit Verdot ]

winery : Gabriëlskloof Wines

winemaker : Kobie Viljoen

wine of origin : Bot River

analysis : alc : 14.56 % vol rs : 1.7 g/l pH : 3.7 ta : 6.1 g/l so2 : 100 mg/l fso2 : 36 mg/l

type : Red style : Dry body : Full taste : Herbaceous wooded

pack : Bottle closure : Cork

ageing : Delicious now and will mature to peak within three to seven years.

in the vineyard : This is a blend of Cabernet Franc 36%, Cabernet Sauvignon 35%, Merlot 10%, Malbec 10% and Petit Verdot 9%. The Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon play dominant roles in the 2010 vintage, while each of the other cultivars brings something special to the blend. The cool maritime climate of the area where the farm is situated results in naturally lower yields - an average of seven tons per hectare.

We are particularly interested in the Cabernet Franc component, because we feel that Bot River, and Gabriëlskloof specifically, is perfectly positioned to produce exceptional Cabernet Franc grapes. The vineyard is planted on a south-facing slope and in that block we have four different clones, all planted on intermediate or crossover soils. From this block, we are able to achieve optimal ripeness and good flavours.

about the harvest: During harvest, selection of the best fruit starts in the vineyard, where the grapes are handpicked using 16kg crates. Individual berry sorting further ensures that only the best quality, optimally ripe grapes are selected.

in the cellar : During fermentation, the grapes undergo a three to five-day cold soaking at 12°C, which enables a gentle, water-based extraction of colour, flavour and structure. Selected natural yeasts ensure controlled, homogenous fermentation. Traditional and modern extraction methods are used. At the time of pressing, a membrane-type press is used at no more than 0.8 bars to release the promise of the fruit.

Thirty percent of the wine undergoes malolactic fermentation in first-fill oak barrels, while the rest undergoes malolactic fermentation in a temperature-controlled stainless-steel tank. After 12 months of oak maturation in barrique, the winemaker selected the best barrels through a rigorous blind tasting. The chosen barrels undergo further tastings to determine percentages of different varieties, to finally result in a blend that truly reflects the style and character of Bot River Bordeaux. After blending, the wine is kept in the bottle for about six months and will be released around April 2012.

Bottles: 13 200

email the winery

email this page

find our wines in :