The De Wet family has been growing grapes and making wine on their family farm in Robertson since 1859. The dry climate here allows for water stress to force the vines to grow smaller, more concentrated fruit. Black fruits, and a touch of oak influence give this dry red a pleasant structure that is very accessible. Pair with a classic braai.

The most planted variety at Excelsior. Vines vary in age from 5 – 20 years. Water stress is used to produce tiny, concentrated berries.

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 flavors, as well as soft tannins, whilst maintaining a good structure. This is achieved using 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 takes place in 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 are gently pressed in a bladder press, after which malo-lactic
fermentation is completed in the tank.

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 units were aged separately and then combined at blending.

Winemaker’s notes
This Cabernet Sauvignon displays ripe blackcurrant, and dried herb characters on the nose, which are backed up with some spicy oak notes. The palate is smooth and soft, with beautiful ripe tannins and a long finish.

Food pairing by in-house chef With the blackcurrant and dried herb character it’s a spot-on choice to pare a juicy medium sirloin steak.

Alcohol 14.00%
Acidity 5.5g/l
pH 3.5
Residual Sugar 3.2g/