Description
Origin: Helderberg, Stellenbosch
Aspect: North & North-West facing slopes
Soil: Decomposed granite – Oakleaf, Tukulu
Altitude: 300 – 400 m above sea level
Proximity to the ocean: 9 km from False Bay
Vintage conditions:
Throughout the season, weather conditions were favourable. Sufficient cold units were accumulated during the winter to break dormancy, while rainfall was average. Favourable conditions continued throughout the growing season, which contributed to a somewhat earlier but even bud-break. Moderate summer temperatures allowed for excellent flavour retention in the berries. Smaller berries and a lighter crop resulted in beautiful concentration and made for a great season overall with exceptional wines.
Maturation: 18 Months in French oak barrels, 60 % new
Optimum serving temperature: 17 – 18 °C
TASTING NOTES
Colour: Crimson red
Nose: Creamy red fruit flavours with fresh herbal tobacco leaf balanced by threads of minerality, perfume and tension. Pure red pastille and blackberry notes are tinged with cacao nib and graphite.
Palate: Beautifully refined and sensual with a velvety palate feel and rich, creamy red fruit notes. Expressive fine grained and powdery tannins build in sheer intensity and volume to the finish, laced with blackberry, savoury notes and saline minerality. The addition of Cabernet Sauvignon adds structure and concentration to the vibrancy, perfume and elegance of the Cabernet Franc. A seamless and pure expression of mountain-grown fruit with serious cellaring potential.
