Estate Reserve Red 2017

The vines for this cuvée are located in the Stellenbosch wine region, more precisely, on the slopes of the Helderberg mountain , a place renowned for its ideal conditions for growing vines. The grapes were hand-picked and lightly crushed. They were cold macerated for 3 days before fermentation began. Three pumpings per day were carried out on the vats during fermentation, after which the wine underwent prolonged contact with the skins for 2 to 3 weeks. Then, the wine was placed in French oak barrels in which it will age for 18 months in French oak barrels. This wine has a deep red color with purple highlights. On the nose, it reveals intense aromas of ripe black fruits, such as blackberry and blackcurrant, accompanied by spicy notes , tobacco and dark chocolate. On the palate, the attack is ample and structured, with silky tannins and a beautiful freshness. Flavors of dark fruits blend with nuances of cedar and licorice, offering a long and lingering finish.

The first grape vines were planted in South Africa by Dutch settlers in the 1650s, although wine production did not really take off until the arrival of French Protestants in the 1680s with their skills and knowledge of viticulture. Stellenbosch is also a historic wine region, with the first vineyards being planted there in the 1690s. Today, South Africa is one of the most important wine producing countries in the Southern Hemisphere. With over 300 years of winemaking history, it is often described as a bridge between the Old and New Worlds. The majority of wines are produced using New World winemaking techniques, but they often share more in common stylistically with their Old World counterparts. Since the end of apartheid, South African wine has received international attention and acclaim for its wide variety of styles. South Africa's wine industry is spread across the lush and rugged landscape of the Western Cape. Here, the abundance of mountains, valleys and plateaus allows winemakers to produce a wide variety of styles. Vineyards are also found in the Orange River region of the Northern Cape, where the flat, arid landscape is dominated by the Kalahari Desert. Most of South Africa's wine regions have a Mediterranean climate, heavily influenced by the meeting of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. The country's signature grape variety is Pinotage, an indigenous cross of Pinot Noir and Cinsault that is rarely found in quantity in other wine-producing countries. Shiraz (Syrah) is also widely planted, as are Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot (often combined in a Bordeaux blend). South African Chardonnay, Chenin and Sauvignon Blanc have become popular internationally in recent years.