KWV The Mentors Orchestra 2015

This modern, multi-layered and Bordeaux-style blend shows aromas of blackcurrants, plums and black pepper with nuances of pencil shavings and wild fennel. On the palate, the intense concentration is prompted by a firm tannin structure and layers of dark berry fruit with an excellent follow-through.

The wine can be enjoyed on its own or paired with braised lamb shoulder or fillet mignon.

variety : Cabernet Sauvignon [ 27% Cabernet Franc, 26% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Malbec, 13% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot ]

winery : The Mentors

winemaker : The Winemaking Team

wine of origin : Coastal Region

analysis : alc : 14.83 % vol rs : 2.86 g/l pH : 3.46 ta : 6.04 g/l

type : Red style : Dry body : Medium taste : Fruity wooded

pack : Bottle size : 750ml closure : Cork

AWARDS

Platinum - SAWi Awards 2017

ageing : The wine can be opened now or cellared for up to eight years.

This is a very typical Bordeaux-style wine that shows the lovely perfume of cassis, cherry and plums. It’s very structured and has plenty of concentration and flavour. The wine has been the backbone of the KWV The Mentors range and serves to highlight the quality and style benefits of Bordeaux varieties. Petit Verdot has exceptional potential in the warmer regions of the Western Cape. It brings much weight and complexity to the blends.

in the vineyard : The winter preceding the 2015 vintage was characterized by maximum hours in the optimal range. Bud break was 10 days early. Spring to November was warm on average, but the entire growing season and most of harvest experienced cool evenings. This was fantastic for both flavour development as well as synthesis of phenols, like tannin and colour, which accompanied bright fruit and perfect acidity in the final result. December had warm days and unusually cool evenings, but it was also very dry with the Cape forgoing the usual December and January rains. The moisture constraint in the root zone activated hormonal responses in the vines that sped up ripening even further while ensuring great concentration. Cool evenings meant the vines recovered from the heat of the day and delicate aromatics were preserved. The surprise harvest saw everyone stretched to the limit. Nonetheless, care was taken with each parcel of fruit and the KWV team met the challenge with aplomb.

about the harvest: 6-8 tons/ha

in the cellar : The bunches were hand-picked and sorted in the KWV The Mentors cellar, which ensured only the best of each variety went into the blend. After fermentation, the most promising wines of each were chosen to mature further in barrel. After 12 months, again the finest were selected to mature for a further six months. This wine is truly about selecting the best-of-the-best of each variety. The wine matured for 18 months in French oak barrels, 70% of which were first-fill.

email the winery

email this page

find our wines in :