Thelema "The Mint" Cabernet Sauvignon 2013
Ripe red berry, cassis and dark chocolate flavours are complimented by hints of mint and on the palate. The wine has fine tannins with a long, mocha finish. A great wine to pair with roast lamb or game.
Maturation
Character will keep developing for 8 more years
Food Pairing
Roast lamb!
Tasting Notes
| Varietal | 100% Cabernet Sauvignon – clone 163 |
|---|---|
| Root stock | Mgt 101-14 |
| Soil type | Hutton – decomposed granite |
| Age of vines | Planted 1985 |
| Plant density | 3200 vines per hectare |
| Trellising | Vertical hedge |
| Pruning | 2-bud spurs every 15cm |
| Yield | 6.98 t/ha |
| Irrigation | Supplementary drip |
| Vintage | A cool start to season delayed harvest by a week or so, resutling in an exceptional vintage with red wines of great purity, elegance and concentration. |
| Picking date | 4th of April |
| Grape sugar | 24.41 °B |
| Acidity | 5.20 g/l |
| pH at harvest | 3.67 |
| Yeasts | Natural occurring yeasts |
|---|---|
| Fermentation temp | 27 °C |
| Method | De-stalked, hand sorting of berries, crushed, pumped into a stainless steel fermenter, pumped over for 10 days, left for 6 days before pressing, racked to barrel for malolactic fermentation. |
| Wood maturation | 18 months in barrel. 40% new French oak, balance in older barrels. |
| Residual Sugar | 3.4 g/l |
|---|---|
| pH | 3.72 |
| Total acid | 5.7 g/l |
| Alcohol | 14.00% by volume |
| Maturation | 2016 – 2026 |
POSSIBLE ORIGIN OF “MINT” / EUCALYPTOL CHARACTER
The most likely source of the “mint” character could be attributed to the airborne transfer from the Eucalyptus trees, which border this specific Cabernet Sauvignon Vineyard, to the grape berries. It is believed that the berries outer wax layer could adsorb Eucalyptol, a compound responsible for the aroma, released into the air by the trees. It subsequently becomes dissolved during the fermentation process, which takes place on the skins, inevitably giving the wine a “minty” character unique to this vineyard.