Gabrielskloof The Blend 2011

On the nose full, black fruit flavours offer the first promise of luscious fruit, followed by hints of paprika and welcoming tobacco, leather and caramel flavours. The mouthfeel is velvety, with a complex and rounded tannin grip – enhanced by the judicious use of barrique.

variety : Cabernet Sauvignon [ 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Cabernet Franc, 20% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot and 3% Malbec ]

winery : Gabriëlskloof Wines

winemaker : Kobie Viljoen

wine of origin : Bot River

analysis : alc : 14.30 % vol rs : 2.6 g/l pH : 3.59 ta : 5.5 g/l

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

pack : Bottle size : 0 closure : Cork

ageing : Will develop in bottle for three to eight years after harvest.

in the vineyard : Gabriëlskloof winery is in the Bot River ward, where prevailing southerly winds from the nearby Atlantic Ocean create a mesoclimate perfectly suited to low-yielding vineyards.

about the harvest: The grapes are handpicked into table grape crates and individual berry sorting further ensures that only the best quality, optimally ripe grapes are vinified. The cool maritime climate of the farm results in naturally lower yields – an average of eight to ten tons per hectare.

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. A combination of traditional and modern extraction methods is used. A membrane press is used to gently release the promise of the fruit, with no more than 0.8 bars of pressure being applied.After 12 months of oak maturation in barrique, the winemaker selects the best barrels through a rigorous blind tasting process. The chosen barrels undergo further tastings to determine the percentages of the different varieties that will go into the final blend, to produce a wine that truly reflects the style and character of our Bot River Bordeaux varieties.

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