Vineyard Selection Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 6x75cl

This is a classic Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignon. The bouquet is filled with layers of dark fruits and just the slightest hint of herbaceous freshness. A dense palate which is packed with svelte tannins that are beautifully balanced by the cassis and blackberry fruit notes which linger seductively on the back palate. This wine combines the best of new world fruit and old world elegance! A fantastic companion to most meat dishes and will also reward careful cellaring for at least 8 years.

Vineyards

Sourced from a selection of vineyards in Stellenbosch.

Vintage

Kleine Zalze concluded the 2021 harvest by mid-April. Excellent winter rains and late rains into spring ensured good moisture content in the soil with the onset of the growing season. The prolonged cool spring weather meant that bud burst was about two weeks later than normal and slightly uneven. The subsequent moderate to cool weather during flowering and berry set continued into the rest of the growing season. The much cooler than normal growing season meant that we started harvest two weeks later than normal. The cool weather also persisted through the harvest period leading to not only exceptional acidity in the grapes and wine but the best acid balance ever seen in our grapes and wine. The harvest was briefly interrupted by a fairly large rain event, of nearly 60mm, early in March. This was initially a cause for some concern. However, moderate and dry weather following the rain actually ensured a long healthy ripening for our grapes and the late ripening varieties, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, reached physiological ripeness at lower sugar levels than normal. All in all, the vintage resulted in wines that have amazing balance and finesse and what they may not have in power they will make up with great purity and elegance.

Winemaking

The various blocks were harvested at optimum ripeness and vinified separately. After careful selection in the vineyard the grapes were hand sorted at the winery ensuring only the best fruit was vinified. After de-stemming, the grapes were fermented in a combination of stainless-steel tanks and traditional open-top fermenters. We used a combination of “punch down” and “pump over” at different stages during fermentation for the best possible extraction and to get balance between flavour and tannin levels. Special care was taken not to over extract the wine and maintain density without compromising elegance. After primary fermentation the grapes were gently pressed and transferred to French oak barrels (40% new, 30% second-fill and 30 % third-fill) for 18 months before final blending took place.

Enjoy with:

• Grilled and Roasted Red Meats
• Pizza/Pasta
• Casseroles/Stews
• Mild Creamy Cheeses
• Mature Strong Cheeses

Perfect with hearty casseroles