Excelsior Cabernet Sauvignon (South Africa)

”cabernet sauvignon is the most planted variety on the estate making up 43% of all plantings. The soil is mainly limestone based although a small portion comes from shale. The goal of the wine is to make wine that shows lots of fruit flavour as well as soft tannins whilst maintain a good structure. This is achieved via very strict canopy management to prevent shaded fruit and harvesting at optimal ripeness. The grapes are harvested by hand for greater quality control. The wines are immediately destemmed but not crushed. Fermentation took placein stainless steel tanks for a period of 7 days at a temperature of between 28 and 32 celsius. Aerated racking was done twice daily to ensure a clean ferment and soft tannins. The grapes were gently pressed in a bladder press after which malo-lactic fermentation was completed intank. Aging 40% of the total wine was aged in a mixture of french and american oak for a period of 9 months whilst the remaining wine was tank aged. All terroir u