Its components (57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot) were individually hand-harvested, sorted, crushed and destalked prior to fermentation in classic open fermenters, and only after 16 months of barrel maturation were they tasted and selected for blending. The assembled wine was then returned to French oak (50% new) for a further six months to ensure a good marriage and secure future.
Muratie Ansela van de Caab
Dark, intense and brooding ? all watchwords for the exciting wine to come. The nose promises much ? cedar wood, cigar box, tiny blackcurrants and a distinctive herbaceous edge courtesy of the Cabernet Franc ? and the palate more than delivers on that promise with rich, savoury flavours of black olive tapenade, cassis, some perfumed sandalwood and a long finish which develops from fruit to savoury, and ends with an enticing combination of the two. This wine epitomises balance, with the elegant tannins, fresh acidity and masterly oak treatment all playing their part. A wine to savour and sip with the very finest culinary offerings