Stark-Condé Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 Wine

The grapes for this wine are from 4 different cabernet vineyards and our best merlot and cabernet franc vineyards, all at a mix of different elevations. Although all are on the decomposed granite soils typical of the hillsides in Jonkershoek, the soil textures vary quite a lot and that, together with the differences in elevations and clones, gives a variety of different flavour profiles to the grapes. The merlot and cabernet franc grapes were picked in late February and the cabernet sauvignon grapes and the Petit Verdot were harvested from mid to late March. The grapes were picked into small lug boxes and cooled overnight to about 14 degrees before being hand-sorted and crushed into small open-top fermentation vats. After being cold-soaked for a couple of days, the musts were inoculated with commercial yeasts. A range of yeast was used, several domestic and an imported Bordeaux yeast. About 20 also underwent fermentation with the natural yeasts. The fermentations were hand punched-down every 2-4 hours for the first half of fermentation and every 6-8 hours until dry. At dryness, the wine was basket-pressed and racked to barrel for malo-lactic fermentation and barrel maturation. Only 300l French oak was used, of which about 35% were new. After 18 months barrel maturation the blend was assembled and put back to barrels for a further 4 months integration. Bottled unfined and unfiltered after 22 months barrel maturation.