Wine Spectator 94

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Vineyard Blocks

1st block 15 year old vines on 7 wire vertical trellis. Mix of 6 different clones on 101-14 rootstock. Mont Fleur vineyard. – high altitude mountain slope. Soil deep red Hutton decomposed granite.
Yield 5 tons / ha. (32hℓ/ha)
2nd block 12 year old vines on 5 wire vertical trellis. Clone CS20C on 101.14 rootstock. Neighbouring east facing Keermont vineyard. Soil deep red Hutton decomposed granite.
Yield 5 tons / ha. (32hℓ/ha)
3rd block 21 year old vines on 4 wire vertical trellis. Clone CS46A on 101-14 rootstock. Soil shallow gravelly red Hutton decomposed granite. On low lying Helderberg mountain site.
Yield 3.5 tons / ha. (21hℓ/ha)
4th block 6 year old vines on 7 wire vertical trellis. Clone CS169 on 101-14 rootstock. Neighbouring north facing Keermont vineyard. Soil deep red Hutton decomposed granite. Yield 5.5 ton/ha (36hℓ/ha)
3% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot incl.

These yields equate to less than 1kg of fruit per vine, arguably the threshold for the production of GREAT wine!

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Vintage Conditions

Typical cold, wet winter followed by a normal growing season with enough rain and warm weather to produce good, balanced growth. A hot, dry ripening period without excessive stress, producing concentrated wines with great structure. One of the best vintages of the decade for the patient.

A massive fire prior to harvest meant a very stressful start to the harvest, but also relief that we were spared any real damage.

Harvest date: 9 /3 / 09 – 26 / 3 / 09 @ 24.4 – 26.6° Balling.

 

Production

100% destemming and crushing by hand directly into 2 ton open top fermentation tanks. Spontaneous natural yeast fermentation @ 31ºC with the cap of skins punched down 2 – 3 times a day for 15 days. Wine drained directly to barrels together with single pressing from traditional basket press. All our wine undergoes malolactic fermentation in the barrel. 40% new French oak was used from high quality coopers. Time in barrels 23 months with several rackings to gradually clarify the wine and assist maturation. This wine was bottled unfiltered by hand on the property.
Bottling date: 03 / 03 / 11
Production: 790 x 12 x 750mℓ

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Tasting Notes

Deep, dark red colour. Cassis & blue berry nose with attractive cedary, lead pencil and spicy oak aromas. Rich, tannic palate hiding a lot of intense fine fruit that opens up in the glass (or with decanting). Exceptional maturation potential. Drink 2016 to 2024. Delicious with most red meat dishes, especially roast lamb.

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Analysis

Alc. 15.24%            SG. 1.6           TA 5.9           pH 3.91            VA 0.72             SO2 11free 42total