Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2019

This cuvée comes from the Simonsberg-Stellenbosch terroir, in the heart of the Stellenbosch wine region, South Africa. The Cabernet Sauvignon vines, around 30 years old, are rooted in decomposed granite, Hutton and Clovelly soils. Mostly dry-farmed, they yield small, concentrated berries and precisely express the freshness and depth of the Simonsberg.

The grapes are harvested by hand, then destemmed and sorted before going into tank. Fermentation takes place in open concrete tanks at 29 °C, with manual punch-downs every two hours. The wine is drawn off after five days of maceration, then undergoes malolactic fermentation. It continues ageing for 24 months in 225-litre French Nevers oak barrels, half new and half second-fill.

This wine reveals notes of blackberry, blackcurrant, blueberry and black fruits, lifted by tobacco, cedar, oak spice, roasted nuts and fresh fynbos, the wild vegetation emblematic of the Cape. The palate is supple and juicy, carried by concentrated fruit, lovely freshness and firm, finely integrated tannins. The long, savoury finish extends the oaky nuances and black fruit.

The first vines were planted in South Africa by Dutch settlers in the 1650s, although wine production did not really take off until the arrival of the French Huguenots in the 1680s, with their viticultural skills and knowledge. Stellenbosch is also a historic wine region, its first vineyards having been planted in the 1690s. Today South Africa is one of the most important wine-producing countries in the southern hemisphere. With more than 300 years of winemaking history, it is often described as a bridge between the Old and New Worlds. Most wines are made using New World winemaking techniques, yet stylistically they often have more in common with their Old World counterparts. Since the end of apartheid, South African wine has attracted international attention and won acclaim for its great diversity of styles. The South African wine industry is spread across the lush, rugged landscape of the Western Cape. Here, an abundance of mountains, valleys and plateaux 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 enjoy a Mediterranean climate, strongly influenced by the meeting of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. The country's signature grape variety is Pinotage, a native cross of Pinot Noir and Cinsaut rarely found in any quantity in other wine-producing countries. Shiraz (Syrah) is also widely planted, as are Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot (often brought together in a Bordeaux blend). South African Chardonnay, Chenin and Sauvignon Blanc have become popular internationally in recent years.