Thelema Rabelais 2020

5 STARS - PLATTER'S WINE GUIDE 2023

Francois Rabelais was a sixteenth – century French writer. His first novel describes an abbey on the banks of the Loire named Thélème where only one rule was observed: “Do what thou wilt!” Thelema is family run and has been making wine since 1988. The finest red wine of the vintage, blended from Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot, honours the man who gave us our name.

Food Pairing

This complex and full-bodied wine complements beef and game dishes.

Winemaker's Comments

During our annual vintage review individual barrels are identified and earmarked for the Rabelais blend. Concentrated aromas of dark berries and cedar wood on the nose are complemented by lovely sweet fruit and polished tannins on the palate. The wine finishes long and firm and will reward cellaring.

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Tasting Notes

Viticultural Practices

Varietal	Cabernet Sauvignon - CS 338C & CS 169A / Petit Verdot - Clone PV 219A
Root stock	101-14 and R99
Soil type	Hutton – decomposed granite
Age of vines	Planted 2002 and 2003
Plant density	2000 and 2110 vines per hectare respectively
Trellising	Vertical hedge
Pruning	2-bud spurs every 12cm
Yield	9.8 tons/ha (Cabernet), 9.5 tons/ha (PV)
Irrigation	Supplementary drip
Vintage	Moderate weather during the growing season lead to optimal ripening conditions allowing for evenly ripened fruit with great natural acidity and concentration of flavour.
Picking date	28 February 2020 (Cabernet Sauvignon), 8 March 2020 (PV)
Grape sugar	25.5°B (Cabernet), 23.9 °B (PV)
Acidity	5.4 g/l (Cabernet), 7.7 g/l (PV)
pH at harvest	3.6 (Cabernet), 3.3 (PV)

Winemaking Practices

Yeasts	Alchemy4
Fermentation temp	26 - 27 °C
Method	De-stalked, hand sorted, whole berries pumped into stainless steel fermentation tanks and pumped over twice a day until dry. After fermentation the wine is left on the skins for 12 hours before pressing, once pressed wine is racked to barrel for malolactic fermentation.
Wood Maturation	18 months in 100% new 225 L French oak barrels

Wine Details

Residual Sugar	2.0 g/l
pH	3.5
Total acid	6.5 g/l
Alcohol	14.5 %
Blend	Cabernet Sauvignon 90 % and Petit Verdot 10 %

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The Current Range

Thelema Cap Classique 2017

92 POINTS - TIM ATKIN SOUTH AFRICA SPECIAL REPORT 2023