Classic cabernet franc, the first to be bottled under the super-premium LORD NEETHLING label.
One of the classic varieties in Bordeaux and the grape that is primarily responsible for the great red wine of Château Cheval Blanc, cabernet franc as a varietal wine has been almost unknown in the Cape. Traditionally an understudy to its more revered first cousin, cabernet sauvignon - with which it is often blended - cabernet franc now appears more and more on the Cape wine stage as a solo performer.
The yield was a low 5 tonnes per hectare. Exceptionally healthy grapes were picked by both hand and machine, after reaching a Balling of 24 - 25 degrees.
Fermentation in rotation tanks at a temperature of 25 - 28 degrees Celsius, using WE 372 yeast strain, was completed in seven days. After undergoing malolactic fermentation, the wine was racked into new French-oak barriques.
Maturation in these barrels lasted for a period of 23 months.
Cabernet franc as a varietal wine is appealing even to people who prefer white wine. As such, it is a sensible compromise for a wine to drink with a weekday lunch. It can be described as winter’s replacement for summer’s chilled white wines!
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