Boschendal 1685 Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon 2015

ageing : 

This complex blend with its integrated oak will age well for five to seven years.

The grapes originated from high-quality vineyard sites in Stellenbosch and Paarl, mostly from the Helderberg and Simonsberg-Paarl areas. The Cabernet Sauvignon was sourced from vineyards in the cool, coastal Faure region of Stellenbosch, as well as the Helderberg, planted on soils typically derived from decomposed granite and socalled Table Mountain sandstone.

Strict vineyard management included shoot thinning in mid-October and again in early December, leaving an average of two to three shoots per spur.

Bunch thinning and green harvesting were all implemented in the vineyards to promote colour, tannin and fruit ripeness, and to maximise the fruit aroma expression and wine concentration.

The vineyards were hand-harvested during March and all bunches were sorted in the vineyard to ensure that only the most perfect grapes reached the winery.

Grapes from each vineyard were fermented separately in stainless steel, and a combination of closed pumpovers, pumpovers with air, delastage and cap break-up with compressed air was used to maximise the extraction of ripe and round tannins and colour. After the ferment, wines were typically left on the skins for five to 10 days before being pressed.

Some Cabernet wines remained on the skins for up to 20 days post ferment, depending on taste. The young wines went into barrel only after malolactic fermentation – 100% went into 300-litre oak barrels comprised of 30% new barrels, and the wine was matured for 14 months.