Description

Winemaker: Wayne Arendse

Appellation: Coastal Region

Grape Varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot

Background

In South Africa’s coastal strip along the mountainous south west coast, where summer winds can gust at 90 mph and vineyard altitudes range from 750 ft to 2000 ft, the classic 5 Bordeaux red varieties have demonstrated that they each have their favorite spots. For example, Cabernet Sauvignon prefers to be sheltered from the extremes of the wind, while Merlot and Petit Verdot handle the wind speeds best.

To produce a finely balanced blend of these great varieties, The Township Winery cellarmaster has selected vineyard blocks that have produced many vintages of great varietal wines, to combine in a notable wine.

Vineyard Locations

To achieve the greatest complexity, a vineyard in the Paarl region, thirty-five miles from the Atlantic and another close to the ocean in Stellenbosch, were chosen for both Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, four separate blocks in total. The Cabernet Franc and Malbec came from Stellenbosch ocean-facing blocks and the Petit Verdot from a different vineyard in Paarl.

Winemaking Technique

Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec all followed a standard open ferment process with frequent punch-downs before pressing and barreling. Petit Verdot has a tendency toward over extraction in the open process, so was cool fermented in steel with pump overs to retain its bright, lively flavours.

100% barreled (15% new).