Circumstance Cabernet Franc 2022

Waterkloof, teknisk ark/fact sheet (waterkloofwines.co.za – linket fra waterkloofwines.co.za, hentet 2026-10-18): 2022 Waterkloof Circumstance Cabernet Franc; druer: Cabernet Franc; alkohol 13%. Producentens noter (engelsk): Fact sheet: IT’S REALLY ALL ABOUT THE VINEYARDS Cabernet Franc is the original “Cabernet” grape, being one of the parents of Cabernet Sauvignon (a cross between Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Franc). This varietal ripens earlier than Cabernet Sauvignon, which makes it ideal for the cool slopes of the Schapenberg. The vines are grown on south-west facing slopes of the Schapenberg, Somerset West, which is on the coastal outskirts of the Stellenbosch Wine Region. The farm is a mere 4km from the Atlantic Ocean, with vines planted at a height of between 240 and 260 meters above sea level. The soils are of decomposed granite origin with medium sized stones, helping with both drainage and moisture retention. Strong south-easterly winds occur during the growing season, which helps to control growth and crop size. Production was approximately 4 tons/hectare. In other words, packed full of flavour! At Waterkloof we strive to produce balanced, characterful wines by adhering to traditional regenerative farming methods. Our soils are kept healthy by using plant extracts, fungi and bacteria from our own organic compost. We do not fight nature, we harness it. The result is honest, terroir-driven wines – true reflections of natural circumstance. A GENTLE HAND We harvest according to taste and spend a lot of time in the vineyards to see how the flavours develop. All our grapes are hand-picked, cooled overnight and then processed the following morning. We are always trying ‘new’ or shall we say… old, traditional approaches, that is why, after beginning to work with whole-bunches for our Rhone varietals in 2009, we now do the same with Cabernet Franc. Bunches are hand-sorted so that only the best grapes are then placed into wooden fermenters via our winery’s gravity-flow system. The alcoholic fermentation started spontaneously with the natural yeasts found in our vineyards. A combination of soft punch downs and delestage were used during the fermentation process. First by feet and then at the end of fermentation, with a soft punch-down machine to ensure a moderate extraction of colour and tannin. The wine spent a total of around 30 days on the skins to help integrate the tannins. The skins were separated from the juice via gravity-flow and then gently pressed in a basket press. […]