variety : Cabernet Sauvignon [ 100% Cabernet Sauvignon ]
winemaker : Tinus Els
wine of origin : Stellenbosch
analysis : alc : 13.5 % vol rs : 1.7 g/l pH : 3.55 ta : 6.3 g/l
type : Red body : Light taste : Herbaceous wooded
pack : Bottle size : 750ml closure : Cork
in the vineyard : Wine complexity results from blending the grapes of two closely situated vineyard blocks comprising an area of 3.63 ha, nestled in the foothills of the Simonsberg Mountain in Stellenbosch. The vines are planted with a East-West orientation along Northernly slopes, and their growth supported by a 5-hedge trellis system. Supplementary irrigation is only
practiced during the hot, dry summer months when the water table is parched. The Indian Ocean is less than 20km away, and gentle afternoon sea breezes drift over the farm and exert a cooling influence against the late afternoon Cape sun.
in the cellar : Yeast: Commercial strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Lalvin Clos)
Fermentation: This wine was carefully made with gentle pumpovers performed every four hours for 10 – 15 minutes. The pumpovers elicit the best colour and tannin extraction from the grapes. Fermentation temperature was maintained between 24°C and 28°C, with ‘pressing of the skins’ after completion of alcoholic fermentation
Maceration: 48 hours cold soak prior to the yeast inoculation that stimulates colour extraction before fermentation. An additional 7 days maceration, post-fermentation on the skins
Malolactic fermentation: Completed 100% in tank
Maturation: 85% of the total volume aged in 225L French oak barrels for 9-12 months, with the remaining volume (15%) kept unwooded in stainless steel tanks
Fining: Gum Arabic + Gelatine
Vintage: A very interesting harvest period with warm Summer temperatures punctuated by short bouts of rain which allowed our Cabernet Sauvignon to ripen slowly, with the berries reaching maturity of pigment & flavour compounds, while the grape sugars accumulated more gradually. This translates to a wine with intense colour, incredible depth of aroma, and alcohol levels that are more conservative.