Sutherland Sarah Red 2017

4.5 Stars Platter's Wine Guide 2023 / 93 Points - Tim Atkin 2022

After establishing Thelema Mountain Vineyards as an iconic Stellenbosch winery, winemaker Gyles Webb started Sutherland Vineyards as an exciting new venture in the cool-climate region of Elgin. Crafted from the finest lots, the Reserve Collection bears tribute to Gyles’ four beloved granddaughters. Quietly confident and complex with the promise of blossoming over time, this wine is named after Sarah Rose Webb, Gyles’ third granddaughter. The Sarah Red ushers in the third generation of family and a new season to explore the exceptional.

Food Pairing

Pairs best with nearly all red meat, including prime rib, New York strip and filet mignon. Also try lamb or pepper-crusted ahi tuna.

All Vintages

R450.00

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Tasting Notes

Viticultural Practices

Varietal	Cabernet Sauvignon 100% – Clone CS 46 C
Root stock	Mgt 101-14
Soil type	Tukulu
Age of vines	Planted 2005
Plant density	2353 vines per ha
Trellising	VSP - Vertical Shoot Positioning
Irrigation	Supplementary drip
Vintage	A moderate summer with very little rain resulting in ideal growing conditions for grapes.
Picking date	09 March 2017
Grape sugar	24.9 °B
Acidity	5.81 g/l
pH at harvest	3.63

Winemaking Practices

Yeasts	Bordeaux Red
Fermentation temp	26°C
Method	The 2017 vintage is regarded as one of the best in decades, our two Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards jostle each year to be the origin of our Sarah Red, the grapes are picked when taste in the vineyard, grape seed colour and sugar accumulation all align for the precise harvest date. The grapes are carefully destemmed, hand sorted over a table, retaining as much whole berry as possible. The fermenting juice is pumped over twice a day and then allowed to ferment the last sugars to dryness with our intervention. Four to five days of extended maceration were allowed prior to pressing. After 18 months of aging in French oak barrels our winemaking team selected 5 new French oak barrels that most reflect the site, vintage, and our belief of what this wine should be, silky fine tannins, restrained black fruit and structure. To be enjoyed upon release or two decades from vintage.