Michelangelo International Wine Award 2002 - Silver
Winemaker Wynand Hamman described the 2000 Five Heirs Christina Cabernet Franc as a full-bodied wine with a solid tannin structure and a good balance between fruit, vanilla and tannin, with a long aftertaste. He said it also reflected the unique earthy character of the area, with added touches of violets, black currants and dark chocolate. Hamman recommends that it be enjoyed with venison, duck or grilled lamb.
in the vineyard : The grapes came from vineyards on the south-westerly slope of Bothmaskop at the entrance to Jonkershoek in Stellenbosch. The vineyards, eight years old at the time of harvesting and located about 350m above sea level, are planted in weathered granite and Tukulu type soils.
During the ripening period the climate varied considerably. December 1999 was fair to cool while January and February was very hot, with rain occurring every two weeks.
in the cellar : After the grapes had been destemmed and crushed, the mash underwent cold maceration at 18°C, being left on the skins for two days before fermentation. During fermentation at 28°C, which lasted for about eight days, it was racked every eight hours. The wine was left on the skins for a further 14 days where after it was drawn off. The skins were then gently pressed and the wine recovered in this way added to the free-run.
Malolactic fermentation took place in stainless steel tanks before the wine was transferred to a combination of new, and second and third-fill 300 litre barrels of French oak, all obtained from coopers in Bordeaux. The wine was bottled after 18 months in the barrel.