Big Easy Cabernet Sauvignon

The grapes were hand-harvested in the cool of the early morning. On the sorting table, all excess stalks and inferior berries were removed. Fermentation took place in 7-ton open-top stainless-steel tanks and the wines were pumped over or punched down manually 3 to 5 times per day, ensuring maximum colour extraction from the skins. Each variety was matured separately in oak barrels and a portion of the Cabernet Sauvignon spent time in concrete eggs, before final blending and bottling took place.

The 2022 vintage will definitely be remembered as the year where we had good fruit set. After pruning, budburst came about two weeks later than expected. This resulted in flowering occurring in a period with cooler temperatures. More berries per vine means a good balance between reproductive and vegetative growth, and, because we restrict pruning to allow for a certain tonnage per hectare, we don’t overburden the leaves. Mild conditions allowed the vines to catch up nicely with warm days after veraison. The heat before harvest is very important for the development of red cultivars and especially for the premium quality of our Cabernet Sauvignon. The Cabernet Sauvignon and Cinsault 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 which offers rich middle palate weight giving this wine exceptional depth and fruit purity. With an altitude of approximately 250 metres above sea level together with the cooling influence of the Atlantic Ocean just 15 kilometres away, this extends the ripening period by up to 3 weeks resulting in lovely phenolic ripeness.

Aged for 14 months in 300-litre French and American oak barrels (10% new). A small portion of the Cabernet Sauvignon (5%) spend 6 months in concrete eggs.