Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignon

Terrific with steaks or chops—like lamb chops with frizzled herbs.

To achieve the sophistication that is so alluring in the best Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards, this wine comes from a site in one of Stellenbosch’s coolest viticultural areas, planted on the slopes of the Helderberg Mountain.

This wine was aged for 20 months in 500L French oak barrels of which 30% were new.

Balance and elegance is paramount to our approach in the vineyard and in the winery. The grapes were hand-harvested and destemmed to tanks with only minimal SO2 added. After about 4 days the indigenous yeast fermentation began, and the wine was pigeaged or pumped-over twice a day during this period. Temperatures were not allowed to exceed 28°C and fermentation lasted 10 to 18 days, followed by 3 weeks extended maceration, after which the wine was drained and pressed to barrels. In the late winter, the wines were racked, then blended in spring and bottled after 20 months in barrel.

The Leeu Passant winery, based in Franschhoek, was established in 2013 with the purpose of harnessing the most exciting vineyards of the Cape in order to create multi-regional wines from vineyards aimed at expressing the Cape as a whole (not only from Franschhoek). The Name “Leeu Passant” is derived from Heraldry, referring to a ‘passing Lion’ and this is the symbol on the top of the capsule. Chris and Andrea Mullineux search far and wide for the best parcels of grapes for these wines, and make them at the Leeu Passant base, on Leeu Estates.