variety : Cabernet Sauvignon [ Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot ]
winemaker : RJ Botha
wine of origin : Coastal Region
analysis : alc : 14.0 % vol rs : 3.6 g/l pH : 3.56 ta : 5.7 g/l
type : Red style : Dry taste : Fruity wooded
pack : Bottle size : 750ml closure : Screwcap
in the vineyard : The grapes for this wine were sourced from selected parcels of fruit from across the Coastal Region (Stellenbosch. Swartland and Durbanville). Due to a cool, wet spring in 2022, budding was later than usual, but consistently good and even. Careful attention to detail stays paramount, and viticulture practices to ensure optimum ripening conditions are always followed, such as performing green harvests on bunches after veraison, and harvesting only once physiological ripeness is reached In this particular vintage, winemakers and viticulturalists alike had to wait patiently for grapes to achieve optimal ripeness. The slower ripening made for intense flavour in the grapes harvested in 2023, promising great wine.
in the cellar : After an early morning harvest, the grapes were destemmed only, and coldsoaked for 12 hours. Fermentation was carried out ‘whole berry’ to ensure a soft, elegant, fruit-forward wine style. The Cabernet Sauvignon grapes were fermented in open-top fermenters and regularly punched-down for optimum colour and tannin extraction. The Merlot was fermented in stainless steel tanks and pumped over, every four hours, for optimum skin and flavour extraction. After fermentation, only the free-run juice was put in barrel for malolactic fermentation and further maturation. The different components of the wine were matured individually for 14 months in 30% second and 70% third fill French oak barrels before final blending and bottling.