Ridgeback Cabernet Franc

VITICULTURE:
The North – South facing vineyards are grown in deep Oakleaf soils and are vertically shoot positioned and irrigated according to soil moisture availability and leaf water potential schedules. Leaf plucking in the bunch zone and meticulous detail to the removal of any green berries enables sufficient sunlight penetration into the canopy ensuring ripe tannins and optimal berry flavour at harvest.

WINEMAKING

• The bunches were de-stemmed onto the sorting table with moderate crushing retaining a whole berry component of 40% in the fermenter.
• The mash was then cold soaked overnight at 12 degrees Celsius.
• Fermentation, using a specific commercial yeast strain, was done in open stainless steel fermenters at 24-28 degrees celsius and the ferment lasted 6 days.
• Gentle pump overs were applied 3 – 4 times daily to extract flavour and tannins for structure. Delestage (rack and return) further aided soft tannin extraction.
• The mash was pressed immediately after primary fermentation was completed.
• The wine was then gravity fed to 225l barrels for secondary or Malo-lactic fermentation.
• Maturation in 26% new, 48% second fill and 26% third fill French oak barrels lasted for 15 months and the wine was then lightly filtered prior to bottling

TASTING NOTES
Upfront blackcurrant with hints of green peppercorn and black olive cradled by elegant, ripe tannin and oak spice on the long mineral finish.

FOOD PAIRING
The complexity of the Cabernet Franc is ideally paired with game birds such as duck or quail and would do equally well served with veal.