21 Gables Pinotage 2017

Beautifully balanced and intensely complex, this Pinotage has concentrated flavours of dark fruit, spice and chocolate. 20 months of oak maturation took place for 20 months in oak has resulted in a firm but velvety tannins. Enjoy it at any point over the next decade; it is only going to get even better over time.

TASTING NOTE:
Flavours of caramelised black cherries, blackberry, allspice and dark chocolate lead to a generous palate with smooth, dense fruit and velvety tannins. The wine leaves an impression of poise, balance and length worthy of ageing.

SERVE WITH:
Serve with mature beef, venison, lamb and ostrich dishes with berry jus or strong cheese.

WINEMAKER:
Johan Jordaan

ORIGIN:
Stellenbosch

ANALYSIS:

Alc	14.61 % vol	TA	5.7 g/L
RS	3.5 g/L	pH	3.53

TERROIR / SOIL:
The decomposed granite soils retain the water content very well due to the high clay proportion on this particular site.

VINEYARD AND CLIMATE CONDITIONS:
The 2017 growing season started with below-average rainfall in Stellenbosch. Although the average temperatures remained ideal for spring and early summer, the lower water levels in the soils resulted in small berries with concentrated acidity and tannin. Dryland vineyards overlooking False Bay on the southern side of Stellenbosch yielded the fruit for this unique wine.

WINEMAKING:
Grapes were harvested by hand, destemmed
and individually sorted; raisins, pink and large berries were removed. Partial (15%) natural fermentation took place in stainless steel; the balance was inoculated with specific yeast strains. Free-run wine was drained to a combination of 70% first and 30% second fill French-, American- and Hungarian-oak barrels, and matured for 20 months. Barrel selections were conducted to ensure a balanced, cool-climate Pinotage with great complexity and ageing potential.

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