Plan B 2018

De Trafford, teknisk ark/fact sheet (detrafford.co.za – linket fra detrafford.co.za, hentet 2026-10-18): 2018 De Trafford Plan B; 95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Syrah, 1% Merlot; alkohol 14.8%. Producentens noter (engelsk): Tech sheet: WINES (PTY) LTD DE TRAFFORD PLAN B 2018 “Plan B” is a true “second” wine – a collection of barrels we feel are not quite up to the high quality we expect for our wines, but too good to sell off in bulk. VINEYARD BLOCKS Cabernet Sauvignon 95% We specifically pick small sections of the vineyard that have excess vigour and vinify them separately with very little extraction. In addition we had a few barrels that took nearly a year to complete fermentation and these turned out a little softer and a little oxidative, as they were without any sulphur additions all that time. Syrah 4% Mostly from the bottom of the barrels after racking, the small amounts made up a barrel, which was allowed to settle and the top 175L racked off. Merlot 1% Topping wine. VINTAGE CONDITIONS Another excellent vintage to follow 2017 after 2 years of drought. Winter started a bit late, but was cold enough to get dormancy off to a good start. Bud break started late as winter dragged on into September. The early growing season was windy with cold and wet periods leading to uneven flowering and berry set resulting in lower yields. The rest of the growing season was dry and hot followed by much cooler temperatures in February with especially cool nights. Disease pressure was very low and the late start to harvest we had healthy grapes with small bunches and small berries. Harvest a little later than usual with very little rain problems. Quite similar to 2017. PRODUCTION Plan B is produced in much the same way as the top De Trafford wines, just a barrel selection of those we don’t feel meet our high standards. Hand picking, no yeast or acid additions, low SO2, no fining or filtering are standard practices at De Trafford. Time in some new, but mostly old 225L French oak barrels: 16 months. Bottling date: 17/07/2019 Production: 489 x 12 x 750mℓ TASTING NOTES Youthful medium deep ruby colour. Attractive creamy blackcurrant, cherry, fruitcake and nutmeg nose, quite ripe and a little cedary oak. Medium to full bodied palate with youthful blackcurrant and cherry fruit and dusty oak complimenting. Dry, youthful finish with quite a tannic structure that needs some time to soften and should improve over several years. Best 2021 to 2028. ANALYSIS Alc. 14.82% SG. […]