Thelema Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
Complex and stylish, with bags of ripe blackcurrant and coffee flavours. This wine is bone dry, yet exhibits a lovely sweet fruit character on the palate. The finish is long and firm.
Maturation
Already drinking well, and will develop for 8 years.
Food Pairing
A perfect accompaniment to grilled beef, especially with a Béarnaise sauce and rocket salad.
Tasting Notes
| Varietal | 100% Cabernet Sauvignon – clone 46,169A and 338C |
|---|---|
| Root stock | 101-14, R110 & R99 |
| Soil type | Hutton – decomposed granite |
| Age of vines | Planted 1988, 1989 & 2002 |
| Plant density | 3200 vines per hectare |
| Trellising | Vertical hedge |
| Pruning | 2-bud spurs every 15cm |
| Yield | Approximately 8 t/ha |
| Irrigation | Supplementary drip |
| Vintage | Like 2008, there was a late start to the 2009 harvest. Long, moderate to dry warm spells led to near perfect ripening conditions. Possibly one of the best vintages the Cape has seen. |
| Picking date | 12th March – 15th April |
| Grape sugar | 24.7 °B |
| Acidity | 4.9 g/l |
| pH at harvest | 3.64.9 g/l |
| Yeasts | Natural occurring yeasts |
|---|---|
| Fermentation temp | 27 °C |
| Method | De-stalked, hand sorting of berries, crushed, pumped into stainless steel tanks, pumped over for 8 days, left for 3 days before pressing, racked to barrel for malolactic fermentation. |
| Wood maturation | 18 months in barrel. 45% new French oak, balance in older barrels. |
| Residual sugar | 1.8g/l |
|---|---|
| pH | 3.7 |
| Total acid | 6.0g/l |
| Alcohol | 14.31% |
| Maturation | 2012 - 2025 |
Complex and stylish, with bags of ripe blackcurrant and coffee flavours. This wine is bone dry, yet exhibits a lovely sweet fruit character on the palate. The finish is long and firm.