This wine originates from vineyards in the Walker Bay, Swartland, Franschhoek, Darling and Stellenbosch regions. Grapes from each of these regions make a unique contribution to the flavour components.

It was a late and very cold winter, with heavy snowfalls in and around Franschhoek. Budding was even and due to the damp soil caused by the late winter, favourable growing conditions were experienced Summer conditions cool and dry, with the result that grapes were picked two weeks later than usual. Only one heat wave, on 4 January, was an abnormal condition during an otherwise perfect season. Throughout the season there was little cause for disease and grapes were very healthy. With the wine consisting of five varietals, all optimally ripe at different times, the grapes were harvested over a period of two months, the Malbec first and the Cabernet Sauvignon last.

The vineyards all have unique macro climates and grow in a large variety of soil types. All the vineyards are trellised according to the Perold system and managed to be perfectly balanced in leaf cover and yield. Thanks to the different terroirs, each area produces grapes with specific characteristics, wines from each area to make a unique contribution in flavour and structure.

Grapes for this wine consist of 41% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc, 8% Petit Verdot and 7% Malbec. The de-stalked grapes were cold-soaked for two to three days, followed by inoculation with selected yeasts. Fermentation was at between 25 to 30 degrees Celsius. After fermentation, the wine was left on the skins for a further 20 days for extra extraction and roundness. Malolactic fermentation occurred partly in the barrels.

The Millennium of this vintage is the first since 1998 to have Merlot as its base. On the nose, the wine has plum and cherry flavours, integrated with roasted nut and dark chocolate. The palate shows prominent wood aromas together with toffee and toast, with integrated tannins that create a pleasant mouth-feel.

Alcohol 14,6% vol
Residual sugar 2,5 g/l
Total acid 5,6 g/l
pH 3,7