Technical Analysis
| Winemaker | Louis Strydom |
| Main Variety | Cabernet Sauvignon |
| Alcohol | 14.86 %vol |
| pH | 3.89 |
| RS | 2.8 g/l |
| Total Acid | 5.9 g/l |
| Appellation | Stellenbosch |
Characteristics
| Type | Red |
| Style | Dry |
TASTING NOTES
The 2014 vintage produced slightly lighter wines than 2012 and 2013. The Proprietors’ Cabernet Sauvignon offers bright red fruits, charcoal and earth on the nose. The palate is densely wound, with rich cassis, milk chocolate, salty liquorice and a dense cherry compote. Compact and finely-tuned tannins coat sweet fruits and a deep savoury edge. It is impressively complex and soft in its youth, but will age with grace for up to 10 years.
THE 2014 VINTAGE
Initial vineyard growth was slow due to late cold fronts experienced during August 2013 followed by cool, wet weather at the start of the growing season leading to relatively high incidence of disease. Mid-November rainfall further hampered effective disease control by creating challenging spraying conditions and limiting access to the vineyards. As a result, downy mildew led to crop losses early on in the season in some of our red wine areas. Thereafter, favourable climatic conditions improved for flowering and good berry set ensued. The high rainfall in mid-November did however spark vigorous growth which required extra input to ensure superior grape quality and disease prevention through good canopy aeration and sunlight exposure. Widespread rainfall during early January increased pressure on viticulturists due to the threat of disease and even further rot. Ideal dry and moderate conditions reigned during ripening in January and mid-February after which a warm period accelerated ripening and resulted in great pressure on harvest intakes. The wine potential looks promising in terms of quality. Moderate weather conditions during the harvest season contributed to intense red wines.
ABOUT THE VINEYARD
Our Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards grow on the warm north-facing slopes of the Helderberg region within the Stellenbosch appellation. The Hutton Clovelly soils contain a high gravel content offering rich middle palate weight and delivering exceptional depth and fruit purity. Five clones of Cabernet Sauvignon were utilized in the production of this wine with CS46C being our most abundant in clonal selection. With an altitude of approximately 250 metres above sea level and the cooling influence of the Atlantic Ocean just 15 kilometres away, the ripening period is extended by up to 3 weeks resulting in lovely phenolic ripeness.
WINEMAKING
The grapes were hand-picked in the cool of early morning. On the sorting table, all excess stalks and inferior berries were carefully removed. Grape bunches were gently destalked with a Bucher de-stalker and lightly crushed. Fermentation took place in 7-ton, open-top stainless steel tanks with yeast WE 372 being added to the juice. The wines were pumped-over and punched-down manually 5 times per day ensuring maximum colour extraction from the skins. After primary fermentation the maceration period was 10 – 16 days before pressing. Each variety is maturated separately (micro-vinified) in oak barrels before blending and eventual bottling.
RELEASE DATE
December 1st, 2016
VINEYARDS
Ernie Els Wines property
HARVEST
March & April, 2014. 25.5° Brix average sugar at harvest
COOPERAGE
Aged for 18 months – 300 litre French Oak barrels (80% new)
PRODUCTION
550 x 6 x 750ml cases
SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVE
I.P.W. (Integrated Production of Wine) Certified
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