2015 has been punted as one of the better vintages in recent years, producing balanced fruit and even ripening. This can be seen in the closeness of harvest dates with all the different varietal components. Neither hot nor cold, but a good balanced vintage. The Cabernet Sauvignon, Mourvédre and Cabernet Franc were fermented in small batches in open bins with regular hand punch downs. The larger Shiraz batches were fermented in stainless steel tanks with regular pump overs. The batches were pressed directly into barrel and allowed to mature with some fermentation lees. Some of the batches did malolactic fermentation in barrel which gives a fuller mouth feel and structure. This vintage was only in barrel for 12 months with 50% new French Oak.
During the blending process, great care was taken to follow the house style of Saboteur, which is increasingly building up a huge following, i.e. bold fruit, good spice and soft tannins. This year the blend contains a small amount of Cabernet Franc for the first time. We felt this added a little bit of polish to the finish and tannin structure. The blend comprises of 77% Shiraz, 11% Mourvédre and 9% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Cabernet Franc.
Grapes were sourced from three vineyard sites:
Bot River, Luddite old block clone 9C Shiraz harvested on 17th February 2015
Bot River, Luddite young block Mourvédre harvested on 3rd March 2015
Bot River, Luddite young block Cabernet Sauvignon harvested on 5th March 2015
Bot River, Gabrielskloof clone 9C Shiraz harvested on 3rd March 2015
Bot River, Beaumont Cabernet Franc harvested on 3rd March 2015
Average analysis of fruit at harvest
24.6° Balling, TA – 6.6 g/l, pH – 3.5
Tasting Notes
Appearance: Dark, garnet and full colour to the edge.
Nose: Black and red fruit, fynbos, garrigue scrubland, all spice and a hint of toasty wood. Overall quite perfumed
Palate: Dark juicy fruit on entry. Broad, spicy cherries and red fruit which gives a feeling of freshness on the mid palate. Finish is dry and firm with balanced tannins.
Analysis of the wine
Alcohol: 14.74% pH: 3.62 TA: 5.2 g/l RS: 2.4 g/l
30 000 bottles of this vintage were produced (27 000 cork & 3 000 crown cap)
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