Cathedral Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon

After two days of cold maceration, which enhances colour and fruit flavours, the juice was inoculated with a combination of specially selected yeast strains. Alcoholic fermentation lasted approximately seven days. During this time, each tank was subjected to a meticulous pump-over schedule. Only after numerous tastings by the winemaking team to ensure the achievement of perfect balance and structure, was the wine pressed o the skins. The wine was racked to barrel where it underwent malolactic fermentation. It was then racked from the lees and returned to barrel for further maturation. After maturation, only the best barrels were selected to go into this vintage of Cathedral Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon.

Winter 2020 delivered good rainfall and cold that saw us returning to long term averages and the end of the drought that had tested all in the Western Cape for the last 5 years. Spring 2020 was defined by later bud break and particularly cool and wet conditions. Variable bud break was observed on a number of varieties. Flowering 2020 saw a continuation of this trend of cooler weather, intermittent rainfall and overcast conditions with lots of wind. The increased rainfall also brought significant disease pressure to most areas, in particular Downey Mildew. Summer has been a far cooler aair that we have been used to with particularly cool nights. This is per se a very good indicator of a quality vintage. We received only one or two warm days that were immediately followed by a cool spell all the way into late January. Harvest began on 21st January, 14 days later than last year and finished on the 7th of April.

The wine spent 18 months in barrel. A 35% portion of the blend was aged in new barrels and the remainder in second and third-fill barrels. The wood utilised in the making of the wine comprised 100% French oak.