Oceanside Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot

Picked at sunrise, the Cabernet Sauvignon was mostly whole berry fermented, whereas the Merlot grapes were crushed and destemmed into separate fermenters. The grapes were cold soaked and a slight carbonic maceration employed for a lift in the fruit expression of the eventual wine. Cool fermentation temperatures and soft, daily pump-overs were used throughout to ensure an unhurried extraction of tannin from the skins. The wine was drawn off the skins straight thereafter in order to avoid over extraction. Gentle pressing yielded only the best, softly textured wine and this was transferred to tank for malolactic fermentation.

Carefully selected sea-facing vineyards, from a variety of sites from the coastal region of the cape, are combined to create this classic expression. A clear maritime influence is felt through the elegance and finesse of the wine, and the warm conditions of the 2023 vintage are expressed by the generous fruit profile.

A portion of the wine was matured in French oak barrels for a period of 10 months before blending and bottling. The use of SO2 was limited to an absolute minimum throughout so as to allow the wine to follow its own course and express its origin most clearly.