Aaldering Cabernet Sauvignon / Merlot 2011

An initial burst of ripe blackberry and cassis aromatics, is seemingly balanced by subtle nuances of eucalyptus, cedar and cigar box. The pallet shows layers of silky and structured tannins, without losing sight of the elegance that is imminent in this wine.

Rib-eye, lamb, green bellpepper, grilled vegetables, Mediterranean spices, garlic twists, mint.

variety : Cabernet Sauvignon [ 51% CabernetSauvignon, 49% Merlot ]
winemaker : Dustin Osborne
wine of origin : Stellenbosch
analysis : alc : 14.5 % vol  rs : 2.68 g/l  pH : 3.58  ta : 5.82 g/l  so2 : 139 mg/l  fso2 : 29 mg/l  
type : Red  style : Dry  body : Full  taste : Herbaceous   wooded
pack : 0  size : 0  closure : 0  

ageing : Potential age up to 10 years. Bottled with a natural cork closure, in order to ensure a unique aging capacity. Ideal serving temperature between 16-18°C / 61-64°F.

in the vineyard : 

The 2011 vintage was characterized by large fluctuations in climatic conditions, especially high heat and drought in the summer. The winter of 2010 came late, however enough cold units were experienced in order for the vinesto rest up sufficiently. Bud break occurred between beginning and end of August for most varietals, and considerably less rainfall was experienced as well, mid November temperatures started to rise considerably and it stayed this way all the way through until March. Irrigation management became crucial. These weather conditions set the tone for the style of the resulting wine, with considerably more extraction and riper fruit being experienced in the bottle. Both cultivars were vinified separately, receiving different treatments according to grapes phenolic profile.

Vineyard Notes

Merlot

Cabernet Sauvigon 

Clone:

MO36A

CS136

Rootstock:

Richter 110

Richter 101/14

Hectare/planted:

1,32 ha./ 1999

3.93 ha./ 1998

Soil:

Decomposed Granite
(Hutton, Clovelly Soils)

Decomposed Granite
(Hutton, Clovelly Soils)

Orientation:

South West facing

South East facing

Altitude:

110-120m above sea level

110-150m above sea level

 

about the harvest: The strict hand picking selection made sure only the healthy grapes made it to the cellar for the rich and powerful component of this blend.

in the cellar : Pump overs occurred 4 times throughout a 24 hour period. Natural malolacticfermenta- tiontookplace in stainless steel tanks. The wines were then aged separately in 225 liter French oak barrels (BarriqueBorde- laise) for 25 months (35% new oak). Assemblage was decided upon, with the blend being 51% Cabernet Sauvignon and 49% Merlot, these proportions were chosen after a through blending trial process.

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OTHER VINTAGES

Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon