Nederburg Two Centuries Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

COLOUR Ruby red. BOUQUET Signature notes of dark fruit, tobacco leaf and cigar box nuances. PALATE A generous concentration of rich ripe dark berried fruits dominate the palate and harmonise with oak to produce a generous, mouth-filling profusion of flavours, tempered by firm tannins.

The grapes were sourced from two dryland sites in the Paarl region. These vineyards grow in red/yellow Tukulu/Clovelly soils that are ideal for root penetration due to its good water holding capacity. Both sites are low-yielding and produce small berries and loose bunches that were picked at a suitable level of phenolic ripeness. While Cabernet bunches tend to be fairly compact, the prevailing micro-climatic conditions were conducive to a looser bunch formation, making for more even ripening. The fruit growing at lower altitudes contribute 60% to the blend and provide the strong aromatic features and dark fruit flavours. The fruit from vines situated at a higher altitude provide red fruit flavours with herbaceous and gooseberry qualities.

The grapes were harvested at optimal ripeness and each block was individually vinified, sorted and crushed into stainless-steel tanks. Cold maceration was done for three days at 10ºC with one pump-over a day. The juice was inoculated and fermented at a temperature of 24ºC to 26ºC. Regular mixing of the juice and skins with aeration happened daily to get the best colour and tannin structure. After fermentation, the wine was drained from the skins and then racked into barrels where it underwent malolactic fermentation. The wine was then racked from the lees and matured in a selection of new French oak barrels for a period of 22 months prior to blending. Only 4900 litres of this wine were produced.

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