variety : Cabernet Sauvignon [ 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc ]
winemaker : Schalk-Willem Joubert
wine of origin : Coastal
analysis : alc : 14.5 % vol rs : 3.08 g/l pH : 3.77 ta : 5.87 g/l
type : Red style : Dry body : Full taste : Fragrant wooded
pack : Bottle
in the vineyard : Baron Edmond is a unique, vineyard driven wine sourced from five distinct terroirs. Great care is taken with the vineyard selection, followed by a natural winemaking approach. As a result the blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (60%), Merlot (30%) and Cabernet Franc (10%) was made virtually prior to the grapes being harvested.
The Cabernet Sauvignon from the West Coast Vineyards lend structure and fullness, while the Merlot from the Stellenbosch and Durbanville regions add a soft, silky mouthfeel with a touch of Cabernet Franc for complexity. Rupert & Rothschild have access to some of the finest vineyards in the country. Correct site selection, canopy management, yield control and sorting of the grapes in the vineyard management, enables Rupert & Rothschild to produce world-class wine.
in the cellar : Alcoholic fermentation as well as malolactic fermentation occurred naturally. Depending on variety and age of the vineyard, maturation on the skins took up to 34 days. The wine was gravity fed into 225 litre new French oak barrels from the forests of Nevers, Allier and Vosges. After 12 months wood maturation the Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc were blended together and returned to the same barrels for a further 14 months maturation during which time the wine was racked twice.
After a total of 26 months wood maturation the wine was racked from the barrels and bottled during the last week of July 2002. To preserve maximum flavour, the wine underwent no fining or filtration. This may result in a sediment deposit 4 to 5 years from vintage.