Ou Hoofgebou Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabernet-braised venison cheeks.

A dry winter season with well below average rainfall. Cold units were made up for in later winter and early spring. Slightly earlier budding, but good, even budding and flowering with an average yield. December brought a lot of rain, lowering temperatures and replenishing water reserves. Hot weather in early January encouraged ripening, becoming more moderate with cool nights to retain acidity. A good vintage for white varieties, with a lot of rain during the month of March making it a challenging vintage for reds.

Malolactic Fermentation was followed by further aging in French oak for 12 months, using only seasoned oak.

Fermentation took place in open-top stainless-steel fermenters. Punch-downs and pump-overs were performed 4 times daily to ensure balanced extraction of colour and tannins. After fermentation, the wine was macerated on the skins for 14 days.

Jean Engelbrecht along with his friends Dillie Malherbe and Jannie Durand set out to create a wine that would not only embody all that is Stellenbosch but that would also pay homage to this great town at the heart of the Cape winelands. Each wine in this range pays tribute to an historical landmark in Stellenbosch.