Raats Dolomite Cabernet Franc 2011

Individually crafted from unique vineyard parcels, Dolomite wines express great purity of fruit and balanced elegance. Displays succulent red fruits coupled with a beautifully smoky, mineral quality. Supple, extremely moreish and a great example of this much under-rated variety.

Pork Loin with plum and Armagnac sauce. Game bird with red wine sauce. Any Springbok, Ostrich or Kudu. Beef Fillet.

variety : Cabernet Franc [ 95% Cabernet Franc, 5% Malbec ]

winery : Raats Family Wines

winemaker : Bruwer Raats

wine of origin : Stellenbosch

analysis : alc : 14.0 % vol rs : 2.3 g/l pH : 3.54 ta : 5.6 g/l

type : Red style : Dry wooded

pack : Bottle closure : Cork

AWARDS

2014 John Platter - 4 Stars

Scored 90 points by Neal Martin from The Wine Advocate (October 2013).

Scored 16 by Jancis Robinson - Wholewheat wines from the Cape (July 2013).

Top 100 SA Wine Challenge 2013

ageing : 3 - 5 years (2014 - 2016) or longer with proper storage.

in the vineyard : Soil Type: 100% Decomposed Dolomite Granite.
Age of vines: 18 - 25 years.
Trellised and Bush Vines.
No irrigation.

The fruit comes from Stellenbosch and grown only on decomposed dolomite granite, which gives a great acidity and freshness to the wine and adds minerality to the finish.

about the harvest: Picking Date: Individual vineyard blocks each hand-picked at perfect ripeness the last week in February till the first week in March.

Grape Sugar: 24° - 25° Balling
Acidity: 6.0 g/l
pH at Harvest: 3.45

in the cellar : Grapes were hand sorted three times, crushed and left to cold soak on the skins for five days. After fermentation the grapes are basket pressed and allowed to undergo malolactic fermentation in stainless steel tanks and then aged for 12 to 14 months before bottling. Neither fined nor filtered.

Fermentation Temperature: 28° C

Wood Ageing
12 to 14 months in French Vicard and Mercury oak barrels (50% third fill and 50% fourth fill).

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