De Trafford Winery is situated on the beautiful Mont Fleur farm set at the top of a dramatic valley above Stellenbosch, 380 metres up between the Stellenbosch and Helderberg mountains. The property is owned and run by the Trafford family with a small team of dedicated workers. An elevation of the Trafford family house, which is the middle of the vineyard, appears on the label.

 

Mont Fleur Vineyard

This blended wine best reflects our magnificent vineyard site high up (393 metres) on the eastern slopes of the Helderberg mountain. Soil deep red decomposed granite - Hutton type. The vines are close planted (5000 to 7500 vines / ha.) The best barrels were selected for this reserve wine:

 

Cabernet Sauvignon 40%

13 yr old vines on 7 wire vertical trellis. Clones CS337; CS359; CS27: CS46A; CS1A; CS163 all on 101-14 rootstock. 3 tons/ha (18 hℓ/ha)

Merlot 27%

13 yr old vines on 7 wire vertical trellis. Clone MO181 on R99 rootstock. 6 tons/ha (36 hℓ/ha)

Shiraz 20%

12 yr old vines on 7 wire vertical trellis. Clones SH21A; SH1A; SH99 all on 101-14 rootstock. 5 tons/ha (30 hℓ/ha)

Cabernet Franc 13%

13 yr old vines on 7 wire vertical trellis. Clone CFID on 101-14 rootstock.  6 tons/ha (36 hl/ha)

 

These yields equate to around 1 kg fruit per vine, arguably the threshold for the production of GREAT wine. 

 

Vintage Conditions

Typical cold, wet winter followed by a normal growing season with enough rain and warm weather to produce good, balanced growth. The knife-edge harvest conditions with small heat waves alternating with short, wet, cold spells seemed to bring out a complex, less fruit driven character in the different varietals, and accentuate the natural structure of the wine in quite an elegant way. 

Harvest date:  Cabernet Sauvignon 14 / 3 / 07 @ 24.3 ° B; 

Merlot 13 / 3 / 07 @ 24.5° B;  Shiraz 1 / 3 / 07 @ 25° B;  Cabernet Franc 15 / 2 / 07 @ 24.2°B.

 

Production

Handpicking into 20 kg lugboxes. 100% destemming and gentle crushing directly into open top fermenters. Spontaneous natural yeast fermentation @ max. temp. 29°C - 31°C. Time on skins 12 - 15 days, with cap of skins punched down (pigeage) 1 – 4 times a day. Wine drained directly to barrels together with single pressing from traditional basket press.

Mostly new French oak used. Time in barrel 19 months, which included several rackings to gradually clarify the wine and assist maturation.

This wine was bottled by hand, unfined and unfiltered, on the property.

Bottling date: 27 / 11 / 2008

Production: 658 x 6 x 750mℓ and 12 x 3ℓ

 

Tasting Notes

Attractive medium deep red colour. Forthcoming lifted aromas of fruitcake and tomato paste, cinnamon, cloves and smoky blackberry emerging too. Shiraz component dominated by the Bordeaux varietals at this stage and new oak component nicely integrated. Elegant dry tannin running with the complex spicy fruit from beginning to end of a long fine finish. Best 2012 to 2020. Ideal with a variety of fine, roasted red meat dishes.

 

Analysis

Alc. 14.58               SG.1,5                TA 5.3              pH 3.74               VA 0.56               SO2 6 & 27