Franschhoek Cellar The Last Elephant 2022

An exclusive red blend made from the best batches the winery can produce every year. An iron fist in a velvet glove, this small-production wine is boldly expressive and well-rounded. The nose brims with moreish dark fruit, showing blackcurrants, cherries, mulberries along with cedar wood, lead pencil and cigar box aromas. These develop in the glass and are joined by raspberry, spice and a hint of gaminess on the palate. The flavours are powerful but elegant, with fine tannins that continue to soften in the glass. A wine that lives up to the mystical legacy of the gentle giants that once roamed the mountains of the Winelands.

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variety : Merlot [ 52% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Malbec, 5% Petit Verdot ]

winery : Franschhoek Cellar

winemaker : JD Roussouw

wine of origin : Stellenbosch

analysis : alc : 14 % vol rs : 3.23 g/l pH : 3.54 ta : 5.8 g/l

type : Red style : Dry body : Full taste : Fruity

pack : Bottle size : 750ml closure : Cork

AWARDS

2025 Michelangelo International Wine and Spirits Awards - Gold
2025 Tim Atkin SA Special Report - 93 points

ageing : Enjoy over the next decade.

The town of Franschhoek was originally called Oliphants Hoek, meaning Elephant’s Corner, and named after the herds of elephant that roamed the surrounding valley and mountains. The original mountain pass out of Franschhoek was built on an old elephant trail that carried these majestic creatures between their summer and winter pastures. To this day, the Franschhoek Valley holds the elephant dear as a symbol of the power and finesse that mark the wines born of its fertile earth. The Last Elephant was seen leaving the valley late in the 19th Century, inspiring this characterful, evocative wine.

in the vineyard : The Last Elephant is crafted from ultra-premium vineyard sites, chosen for their exceptional character. The hand-selected grapes come from prized vineyard blocks in the Helderberg ward of Stellenbosch, South Africa. The unique combination of mountain slopes, altitude, coastal proximity, low Vigor, well-drained soils rich in weathered granite results in a concentrated and pure expression of this blend. Meticulous vineyard management, including leaf thinning, green harvesting, and bunch selection, ensures that only perfectly ripe grapes are harvested. The significant variation in temperatures between day and night during the ripening period enhances color, flavor development, concentration, and intensity, all contributing to the remarkable quality of this wine

about the harvest: The grapes were hand-picked and fermented in closed tanks at temperatures of 25-28°C.

in the cellar : The young wine received a post-fermentation maceration of 14 days, followed by malolactic fermentation in stainless steel. On completion of the malolactic fermentation, the wine was racked into 35% new French oak. The wine was then matured in oak for 14 months, followed by 12 months in the bottle to gain softness and complexity before release

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