Durbanville Hills Caapmans Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot 1999 - Single vineyard vine
Michelangelo International Wine Awards 2003 - Gold
Moore describes this as a beautifully modulated wine with well-integrated fruit and wood flavours. It has a concentrated ruby colour and a youngberry/blackcurrant nose with a whiff of vanilla. He believes its aromas will develop further as the presence of oak gives way to varietal characters of berry, spice and chocolate flavours.
He suggests enjoying it with robust red meat and game dishes.
variety : Cabernet Sauvignon [ 64% Cabernet Sauvignon,36% Merlot ]
winemaker : Martin Moore
wine of origin : Coastal
analysis : alc : 13.21 % vol rs : 1.9 g/l pH : 3.66 ta : 5.1 g/l
type : Red
pack : Bottle
AWARDS
Michelangelo International Wine Awards 2003 - Gold
ageing : Martin Moore recommends leaving the wine to age for another year at least, to allow its flavours to come to the fore.
in the vineyard : The wine takes its name from Caapmans, a generic term for several tribes of indigenous herders who roamed from the West Coast inland to the hills of Durbanville before the outbreak of smallpox in 1713.
This is the first blended wine to be launched under the Durbanville Hills label. The international demand for Cabernet-based blends, as well as the suitability of terroir, prompted its development. The blend comprises 64% Cabernet Sauvignon and 36% Merlot.
about the harvest: The Cabernet Sauvignon grapes for this wine were sourced from a north-east facing, low-yield vineyard (6 tons per hectare), established in 1990 and planted in deep, dark red soils at around 250 metres above sea-level. The grapes were hand-harvested in March between 25° and 26° Balling.
The Merlot was picked from a northeast-facing vineyard on the valley floor, located about 200 metres above sea level and planted in deep red soils. Established in 1991, the vineyard yielded 9 tons per hectare. Grapes were hand-harvested in March at 27° Balling.
in the cellar : Each vineyard was separately vinified. After one day of cold soaking, the must was fermented on the skins for eight days at 29°C until dry and left on the skins for two weeks to soften the texture of the wine. The fermenting juice was mixed with the skins every two hours to impart an intensity of colour and flavour. Maximum fruit, colour and tannin extraction from the skins was made possible through continuous computer-regulated pump-over cycles and automatic temperature regulation. By opting for frequent but gentle extraction, Moore could avoid imparting bitter tannin flavours.
After malolactic fermentation, the wine was matured for 24 months in tight-grained new French oak and then blended and bottled.
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Cabernet Sauvignon
Martin Moore