Ridgeback Cabernet Franc 2021


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


Key ingredients

Cabernet Franc 100%

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.

Experience the Essence: Indulge in a Ridgeback Cabernet Franc 2021

Bottle Analysis

Wine of Origin: Paarl
Number of Bottles: 2 697
Alcohol: 14.5 %
Residual Sugar: 2.4 g/l
TA:  6.0 g
pH: 3.67
Total SO2: 92 mg/l
Release: February 2024
Extract: 34.9 g/l

Winemaking

  • The selected bunches were destemmed onto the sorting table with moderate crushing retaining a whole berry component of 30% in the fermenter. Great care was taken to remove all stalks.

  • The mash was then cold soaked overnight at 12 degrees Celsius for maximum colour extraction.

  • 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 pumpovers were applied three to four 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 33% new, 44% second fill and 23% third fill French oak barrels lasted for 15 months and the wine was then lightly filtered prior to bottling.