Ridgeback Cabernet Franc 2013

Upfront blackcurrant with hints of green peppercorn and black olive cradled by elegant, ripe tannin and oak spice on the long mineral finish.


variety : Cabernet Franc [ 100% Cabernet Franc ]
winery : Ridgeback Wines
winemaker : Toit Wessels
wine of origin : Paarl
analysis : alc : 14 % vol  rs : 2.2 g/l  pH : 3.69  ta : 5.9 g/l  
type : Red  taste : Mineral  
pack : Bottle  size : 0  closure : Cork  

ageing : 8-10 Years

in the vineyard : The North- South facing vineyards are grown in deep Oakleaf soils and are vertically shoot positioned and irrigated according to soil moisture availability and leaf water potential schedules. Leaf plucking in the bunch zone and meticulous detail to the removal of any green berries enables sufficient sunlight penetration into the canopy ensuring ripe tannins and optimal berry flavour at harvest.

in the cellar : 

The bunches were destemmed onto the sorting table with moderate crushing retaining a whole berry component of 40% in the fermenter.
The mash was then cold soaked overnight at 12 degrees Celsius.
Fermentation, using a specific commercial yeast strain, was done in open stainless steel fermenters at 24-28 degrees Celsius and the ferment lasted 6 days.
Gentle pumpovers were applied twice daily to extract flavour and tannins for structure. Delestage (rack and return) further aided soft tannin extraction.
The mash was pressed immediately after primary fermentation was completed.
The wine was then gravity fed to 225l barrels for secondary or Malo-lactic fermentation.
Maturation in 26% new, 48% second fill and 26% third fill French oak barrels lasted for 15 months and the wine was then lightly filtered prior to bottling.

Bottled: June 2014
Release Date: December 2014
Bottles: 6981

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Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc