Cinsault

An extremely versatile food wine that compliments everything from shellfish to white meats and on to aged cheeses.

A single-vineyard wine from a dry-land, bushvine parcel situated on the lower foothills of the Helderberg West peak. The block was planted in 1964 on heavily weathered granitic soils and features a healthy sprinkling of Chenin Blanc, erroneously planted to replace dead Cinsault vines.

The 2018 was raised for 9 months in seasoned French oak barrels. The wine was bottled unfined and unfiltered in November 2018.

This Cinsault has been fermented and aged as naturally as possible, without intervention and in search of an authentic reflection of its origin. The grapes are de-stemmed into open top fermenters, including 30% whole bunches, and undergo a cold soaking for 3-5 days. The wine ferments naturally (without the addition of commercial yeast) for a period of 10 days during which it is punched down manually once per day. Thereafter it is gently basket pressed and moved by gravity into barrel.

Metzer Family Wines was established in 2006 by winemaker Wade Metzer, producing small-batch wines from vineyards across Stellenbosch and the Western Cape. Best known for Chenin Blanc and Syrah, Metzer focuses on expressive, site-driven South African wines made with minimal intervention, indigenous fermentation and a deep respect for vineyard and terroir.