Ridgeback Cabernet Franc

VITICULTURE:

The award-winning North- South facing vineyard used for this wine is grown in deep Oakleaf soil and the shoots are vertically positioned. The vineyard is irrigated according to soil moisture availability schedules. Leaf plucking in the bunch zone and meticulous detail to the removal of any green berries enables efficient sunlight penetration into the canopy ensuring ripe tannins and optimal berry flavour at harvest.

HARVEST:

• Grapes were handpicked on 23 February 2017.
• Bunches were healthy and harvested at optimal berry and seed ripeness.
• Analysis:   

Sugar:        25.0^o Balling

         Acidity:       5.85g/l

         pH:             3.65

WINEMAKING:

• The selected bunches were destemmed onto the sorting table with moderate crushing retaining a whole berry component of 30% in the fermenter. Great care was taken to remove all stalks.
• The mash was then cold soaked overnight at 12 degrees Celsius for maximum colour extraction.
• Fermentation, using a specific commercial yeast strain, was done in open stainless-steel fermenters at 24-28degrees Celsius and the ferment lasted 6 days.

• Gentle pumpovers were applied three to four times daily to extract flavour and tannins for structure. Delestage (rack and return) further aided soft tannin extraction.
• The mash was pressed immediately after primary fermentation was completed.
• The wine was then gravity fed to 225l barrels for secondary or Malo-lactic fermentation.
• Maturation in 24% new, 63% second fill and 13% third fill French oak barrels lasted for 15 months and the wine was then lightly filtered prior to bottling.

TASTING NOTES:

Upfront blackcurrant with hints of green peppercorn and black olive cradled by elegant, ripe tannin and oak spice on the long mineral finish.