Zorgvliet Richelle 2019
R490,00
The Richelle is a wine created to embody “completeness”. With this wine we showcase the unique character of the Banghoek Valley – a wine with finesse that has a solid core of fruit, that is full-bodied, but with the elegance becoming of a wine made in a cool area. We blend our best batches to create a wine that is perfect balance.
Following on the stellar 2018 bottling with its restraint and poise, the 2019 is more expressive on the nose and more concentrated in the palate. Cabernet Sauvignon drives the blend with its blackcurrant presence, while the Cabernet Franc adds the typical dried floral tones.
More Information
Specifications
In the cellar
Grapes were harvested by hand and berry sorted into stainless steel fermenters. Fermentation occurs spontaneously and, in some cases, finished with a pure strain. Extraction was done with
a combination of punch-down, rack-and-return and pump-over methods. Batches were gently pressed and immediately racked to small French oak barrels where they completed malolactic
fermentation. The components were racked three times to enhance clarification and development. Blending took place after 16 months aging, after which the composed blend was
aged in barrel for another 4 months. The wine was bottled after a total of 22 months. Barrel composition: 64% new - 225L French oak.
2019 was one of the most challenging harvests of the decade. Following the preceding drought years, vines were under pressure regarding nutritional reserves. A heat wave during winter 2018 caused vines to bud prematurely, further tapping low reserves. Nevertheless, rainfall during the growing season returned to long-time average figures and pulled the vines through. The
weather was cool running up to harvest with only one moderate heat wave early in February. This sped up the ripening of early varieties such as Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. White grapes were harvested over a short period and shows great natural acidity and freshness - overall great white vintage. Reds ripened more variable and careful treatment in the cellar was required. In general grapes were ripe at lower potential alcohols and wines should have great suppleness and finesse.
In the vineyard
The vineyards are in the Banghoek Valley, Stellenbosch. Elevation is 300-350m above sea level and is mostly southerly facing. This provides for moderate temperatures resulting in the late but slow ripening of the fruit. The soils are made up of leached, decomposed granite and sandstone. Gravel in the upper layers provides for good drainage in wet seasons and clay in the subsoil
provides for moisture retention in dry ones. Vineyards are trained on a 7-wire hedge and cane pruned by hand. Average yield is 5-8tons/ha.
Ageing
22 months
Cultivar
56% Cabernet Sauvignon; 28% Cabernet Franc; 8% Merlot; 8% Petit Verdot
