Technical Specifications

Alcohol 14.0%
Residual Sugar 2.5 g/L
Total Acidity 5.7 g/L
Calories (estimated) 115 kcal / glass
150ml glass115 kcal
750ml bottle575 kcal
Grape Varieties Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petite Sirah
Cabernet Sauvignon85%
Petit Verdot8%
Cabernet Franc3%
Malbec2%
Petite Sirah2%
Region Stellenbosch
Soil Decomposed granite iron-rich red soils
Elevation 200.0 meters
Orientation South East, North West
Vineyard Yield 65 hL/ha
Harvest Dates late February (Cabernet Franc), early March (Malbec), mid-March (Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot)
Brix at Harvest 24.5°
Grape Clone CS46C, CS163C, CS27A, 10C, 1C
Vine Age Cabernet 15-27 years, Cabernet Franc 16 years, Petit Verdot 13 years
Fermentation Vessels Open-Top Fermentation Vats
Natural Yeast Yes
Malolactic Fermentation 100%
Oak Aging 20 months
Oak Details 30% First Fill New Oak
First Fill New Oak30%
Oak Types French
Barrel Size 300l
Unfined Yes
Unfiltered Yes
Production Details The grapes for this wine are from 4 different Cabernet vineyards and our best Malbec, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot vineyards, all at a mix of different elevations. Although all are on the decomposed granite soils typical of the hillsides in Jonkershoek, the soil textures vary quite a lot and that, together with the differences in elevations and clones, gives a variety of different flavour profiles to the grapes. The Cabernet Franc grapes were picked in late February, the Malbec early March, and the Cabernet Sauvignon grapes and the Petit Verdot were harvested in mid-March. The grapes were picked into small lug boxes and cooled overnight to about 14 degrees before being hand-sorted and crushed into small open-top fermentation vats. After being cold-soaked for a couple of days, some of the musts were inoculated with a mix of domestic and imported Bordeaux yeast. About 40% underwent fermentation with the natural yeasts. The fermentations were hand punched-down every 4 hours for the first half of fermentation and every 6-8 hours until dry. At dryness, the wine was basket-pressed and racked to barrel for malo-lactic fermentation and barrel maturation. Only 300l French oak was used, of which about 30% were new. Bottled without fining and with no filtration after 20 months barrel maturation.
Tasting Notes
Nose: blackberry fruit, tea-leaf, cedar
Palate: dark fruit, mocha
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