Description
“Ideal conditions” is how Miles Mossop (and many other winemakers) describes the 2017 vintage. This stylish cuvée of Cabernet Sauvignon with 53% Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc is youthful, serious and dense, with impressive focus, depth and palate length, notes of graphite, cassis and capsicum and scented 37% new wood. 2022-29 94/100 Tim Atkin MW
Red and black berries, oyster shell, a hint of tilled earth and pencil shavings on the nose. The palate shows luscious fruit, fresh acidity and fine tannins. Possessing impressive structure, it comes nicely to a point on the finish. Very nicely judged. Christian Eedes Winemag 95/100.
Winemaking Note
This wine is a blend of
47% Cabernet Sauvignon
26% Merlot
21% Petit Verdot and
6% Cabernet franc.
The vineyards are specially selected according to their age and site from various parts of Stellenbosch, mostly unirrigated and all low yielding (4 to 6 t/ha). This gives a pure expression of its environment in the wine. The grapes are ripened to peak maturity (between 23- and 25-degrees Brix) before being hand-harvested and delivered to the cellar, at which point they are placed in a cold store overnight at 4 degrees Celsius.
During the processing of the fruit, there is bunch sorting and berry sorting. Partial crushing takes place, and the fruit was transferred without the use of pumps into small wooden and stainless steel open-top fermenters. Fermentation occurs by the yeast naturally occurring on the grape and can take up to14 days to complete. Extraction occurs through pump overs and punch downs. Once fermentation has been completed, the wine may stay on the skins for an additional time, depending on the tannin development and ripeness. The wine is drained off and pressed in a vertical basket press.
Malolactic fermentation takes place in barrel, after which the wine is racked and returned to barrel for further maturation. Maturation occurs in small 225-litre French barriques, of which 37% is new and lasts for 22 months with regular rackings. The wine received no fining or filtration before bottling. The wine was bottled in January 2019.
TECHNICAL ANALYSIS
PH: 3.51
TA: 5.2 g/l
RS: 2.4 g/l
Alc: 14.5%
