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
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
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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.
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The mash was then cold soaked overnight at 12 degrees Celsius for maximum colour extraction.
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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.
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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.
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The mash was pressed immediately after primary fermentation was completed.
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The wine was then gravity fed to 225l barrels for secondary or Malo-lactic fermentation.
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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.