Excelsior Cabernet Sauvignon

At this historic South African winery, Cabernet Sauvignon is the most planted variety on the estate, making up 43% of all plantings. The soil is mainly limestone based, although a small portion comes from shale. The goal of the wine is to make wine that shows lots of fruit flavor, as well as soft tannins, while maintaining a good structure. This is achieved via very strict canopy management to prevent shaded fruit and harvesting at optimal ripeness. The grapes are harvested by hand for greater quality control. The wines are immediately destemmed but not crushed. This Cabernet Sauvignon displays ripe blackcurrant, and dried herb characters on the nose, which are backed up with some spicy oak notes. The palate is smooth and soft, with beautiful ripe tannins and a long finish. With the blackcurrant and dried herb character it’s a spot-on choice to pare a juicy medium sirloin steak.