Grapes for the wine originate from vineyards in the Walker Bay, Villiersdorp, Franschhoek and Paarl areas.

A number of factors resulted in a lower than average yield in most of the areas from which the grapes originate. Although it was reasonably cool during the growing season, some areas experienced drought conditions. Areas that did not have irrigation water available during the late season, experienced further losses later. The season will be remembered especially because of the heat waves in late January – during three consecutive days the temperature rose above 40 degrees Celsius in the Boland, followed, a few days later, by two more days of above 40 degrees.

Each vineyard grows in its own macro climate in a wide variety of soil types. Several clones are represented. All the vineyards are trellised according to the Perold system and managed to maintain a perfect balance between leaf coverage and yield. Thanks to the different terroirs, each region produces its own distinctive grapes, so grapes from each region make a unique contribution to flavour and structure. The grapes originating from Walker Bay are organically grown.

Grapes for the wine consist of Merlot (65%), Cabernet Franc (22%), Malbec (7%) and Petit Verdot (6%). Before and after de-stalking, all the grapes were hand-sorted. The de-stalked berries were inoculated with yeast immediately. Fermentation was at between 25 and 30 degrees Celsius while the wine was pumped over. After fermentation the wine was left on the lees for a further 20 days in order to enhance extraction and body. Malolactic fermentation was partly in barrels.

The nose of this wine tells the story of how it was made. Raspberry (Merlot), a slight herbaciousness (Cabernet Franc) and English toffee (oak) combine in a harmonious way. Malbec and Petit Verdot provide colour and spice. The palate is juicy and rich and leaves a lingering dry fresh finish.

Alcohol 13,8% Vol
Residual sugar 2.6 g/l
Total acid 5,7 g/l
pH 3,51