2018 Tokara Reserve Collection Cabernet Sauvignon

This wine is a blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Petit Verdot and 3% Malbec. The grapes originated from TOKARA’s premium vineyards on the slopes of the Simonsberg Mountain just outside of Stellenbosch.

This wine displays a deep maroon colour with a vibrant edge. The nose leads with classic graphite notes, briary fruits interwoven with aromas of five spice and the faintest hint of dried porcini. There is a freshness underscoring these aromas with hints of dark cherry, red currant and fynbos scrub - a classic expression of Simonsberg Cabernet. The palate is pleasantly full bodied with flavours mirroring aromas all leading to a multitextured finish.

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Viticulture

Only grapes from the best blocks and from the best parts of these blocks are used. The average yield is between 7 and 10 t/ha. The grapes were hand-picked at optimal ripeness between the 8th and the 29th March.

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Vinification

The grapes were gently de-stemmed, before passing across a sorting table for the removal of all unwanted leaves or stalks and then crushed directly into tanks for fermentation using only gravity. There is a period of cold maceration for up to 5 days before the fermentation starts spontaneously (using the natural yeast strains present on the grapes). The grapes were fermented in stainless steel and wooden upright (foudre) fermenters. Pump-overs, dellastage and punching down of the cap were implemented twice a day for extraction until the fermentation completed. The tanks were given maceration post fermentation. The wines spent a total of twenty-two months in 52% new French oak - the rest being older French oak barriques. During maturation the wines received four racking’s, all done barrel to barrel. The wine was bottled in January 2020 with no fining and a light filtration.

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Recommendation

Grilled steak with Bearnaise sauce or Roast lamb shoulder with rosemary and garlic jus, potato dauphinoise and long-stemmed broccoli with lightly toasted almond flakes.