Raats Dolomite Cabernet Franc 2012

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 : 13.5 % vol rs : 2.6 g/l pH : 3.5 ta : 5.3 g/l

type : Red style : Dry wooded

pack : Bottle size : 0 closure : Cork

AWARDS

Scored 92 points by Tim Atkins (July 2014).

TOP100 SA wines 2014.

Scored 88 points by Wine Spectator (May 2014).

Scored 89 points by Neal Martin from The Wine Advocate (October 2013).

ageing : 3 - 5 years (2015 - 2017) or longer with proper storage.

in the vineyard : Soil Type: 100% Decomposed Dolomite Granite
Age of vines: 19 - 26 years
Trellised and Bush Vines
No irrigation.

The fruit comes from Stellenbosch and Paarl 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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