This intense, ruby-red wine is concentrated and leads on the nose with perfume notes, cranberries and sweet spice followed by black olives and aniseed. The palate is rich and juicy with plums and dark cherries. The grippy tannin structure is well integrated and delivers an intense, lasting finish.
KWV is one of South Africa’s leading wine and spirit producers, with an impressive international reputation and history. We love how their dynamic winemaking team are bringing an innovative approach and modern wine styles.
KWV has 72 growers from every region of the Western Cape so it has unrivalled access to all South Africa’s wine regions and grape varietals, from cool climate Walker Bay Sauvignon to hot and arid Swartland Shiraz. Its winemakers work closely with the vineyards and the results shine a light on South Africa’s amazing regional strengths.
Grapes were harvested optimally ripe and hand sorted in the cellar to ensure only the best fruit is used for fermentation. After two days of cold maceration the juice was inoculated with a selected yeast strain. Alcoholic fermentation lasted approximately six days and during this time was pumped over every five hours. Wine was racked off the skins, settled and transferred to barrels where malolactic fermentation took place for three weeks. The wine was then racked and cleaned, and returned to barrels. After 12 months, the best wines were selected to mature for an additional six months. In total during the 18-month maturation period the wine was racked twice. This wine is truly about selecting the best-of-the-best.
The wine was matured for 18 months in French oak barrels of which 70% was first-fill.
Rich and juicy, the wine is best paired with hearty red meats and aged cheese.