Leopard's Leap Family Collection Heritage Blend 2020

A vibrant purple colour with deep red hues. The wine shows fragrances of spicy oak vanilla notes, with rich dark fruity flavours of plum and blackberries. The palate is refined and elegant, with prominent mulberry and cinnamon flavours supported by well-defined tannins, leaving a lingering finish. With good ageing potential, it can be enjoyed now or kept to further develop in the bottle. Best enjoyed with steak or a hearty home-made tomato stew

The grapes were sourced from various areas, to create a unique and complex style of wine. The Shiraz and Grenache Noir grapes are from Paarl, and the Cinsault from Darling. Vines are trellised, with minimal irrigation. The Cinsault is old bush vines without irrigation.

Grapes were hand-picked and hand-sorted. The varieties were harvested separately at optimal ripeness, between 23,5 and 25,5 degrees Balling. Each variety was fermented separately at between 23 and 25 degrees Celsius. During winemaking there was minimal intervention, with regular punch-downs and pump-overs, for enhanced extraction of colour and flavour. After fermentation, extended skin contact of fourteen days was allowed. Malolactic fermentation took place in stainless steel tanks. The Shiraz component was matured in first-, second-and third-fill French oak barrels, and the Grenache Noir and Cinsault in older barrels. The components were kept separately for 12 months. Thereafter, blending took place and the wine was returned to the barrels for a further 6 to 8 months to ensure optimal integration of the different components