The inspiration behind the Reserve range is to create wines that are fuller and more complex in style. The use of oak plays a dominant role in adding complexity. These wines are best enjoyed with food, but good fruit /wood balance means they will also not disappoint on their own. 

VINEYARD:

Vines are drip-irrigated to ensure optimal ripening and trained on the 5-wire Perold trellis system. Planted in soils consisting of weathered granite on clay, the vines are situated on south facing slopes. The nearby Atlantic Ocean (False Bay) has an additional cooling effect on the vineyards during the ripening season. 

GROWING SEASON AND HARVEST:

The Western Cape in particularly Stellenbosch had a real good winter with sufficient rain and cold for the vines to rest and build up reserves before the start of bud towards September. Cool and mild, windy weather conditions prevailed until December, which pushed the start of harvest out by 14days to the norm. These cooler conditions led to concentrated flavors with natural acidity, good color and ripe tannins. Harvest finished first week April and crop yields were down by roughly 15% to a normal year, but wine quality looks very promising. 

VINIFICATION:

Grapes were harvested around end-March from two different clones. Berries were crushed and cold-soaked for about 48hrs and then inoculated with selected yeast to bring out the best of the varietal. Fermented in stainless steel tanks with pump-overs (aeration) every 4 hours to extract flavor and color from must. Fermentation takes about 5 days at temperatures between 24-28°C. The wine was matured in older 300L French Oak barrels for 12 months. 

TASTING NOTES:

The wine has a deep, dark, ruby red color with classic blackcurrant, blue berry and cedar nuances on the nose. The palate is filled with plush cassis fruit and dark chocolate-dipped cherry. A full-bodied wine with smooth tannin structure that can be enjoyed now but also improve with further bottle maturation.  

SERVING:

Serve the wine @ 15-18 degrees Celsius, enjoy with charred grilled burgers or pasta in a rich creamy sauce. 

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