Bordeaux, Napa Valley, Margaret River, Stellenbosch… the case has been made for all four to exist in the same space when talking about great Bordeaux varieties and world-class wines. Lauren Buzzeo of Wine Enthusiast said this about Stellenbosch Cabernet, ‘Think New World fruit meets Old World structure—the best of both.’ Boschkloof’s vineyard, being located in the well-draining granitic soils of the Polkadraai Hills is perfectly situated for textbook, classy, Bordeaux blends. The 2021 growing season in Stellenbosch had slightly lower yields than 2020, but outstanding grape quality. This vintage is particularly plush and silky.
The grapes were handpicked and fermented separately with both inoculated and native ferments. Pumpovers occurred four times per day to get gentle extraction of color, tannins and flavor. After 3 weeks on skins the lots were pressed off to used French barriques where they aged for 16 months, with a racking and small sulfur addition around the 10 month mark. Post-élevage, the barrels were selected for the final blend and racked to tank where it was bottled with a gentle sheet filtration and a dose of sulfur dioxide, but without fining.