A heavyweight Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot blend. The Cabernet Sauvignon and the Petit Verdot grow on the Helderberg facing the Stellenbosch mountain in the Blaauwklippen valley.

The Story

This wine started way back – I bottled a straight 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon from a friend’s farm. The wine was big, but I loved it. After bottling, the Department of Agriculture came back with the final analysis. An alcohol of 16.14% – GOODNESS?! I stacked the wine in the back of the warehouse, not sure what to do with it. I then had a tasting at the Hinterhofkabuff with a German guy called Martin Baulmann, who subsequently became my agent in Germany. We tasted all my wines and at the end he asked me if I had something big for him to taste. “How do you mean; BIG?”, I asked. “In colour, extraction, tannin?…”.” Like in 15% alcohol…”, he replied. “I think I have something even better for you” I said. So I opened a still unlabelled bottle and poured him a glass of what I was planning to name Midnight Call. He loved it and wanted to buy everything. For those of you who do not know Martin: He has a big frame, laughs loudly, and lives large. So afterwards I sat in the Hinterhofkabuff drinking a glass, thinking of this very big guy that loved this very loud wine. It seemed natural to change the name to THE BOMB.

Technical Information

Cultivar: Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot

Vintage: 2021Region: Stellenbosch

Amount of Bottles Produced: 1822

Vineyard: Various trellised vineyards growing in the – Blaauwklippen valley on the Helderberg mountain.

Winemaking

The grapes were picked at optimal ripeness and cooled overnight to 4 degrees celsius. The next morning the grapes were destemmed to open top fermenters. The juice underwent spontaneous fermentation and stayed on the skins for as long as possible. Pressed into French oak small barrels 40% new, 18 months in barrel, blended and bottled.

Alcoholic Strenght: 15 % / vol

Acidity: 5.81 g/l

PH: 3.72

Reducing Sugar: 1.7 g/l

Free SO2: 21 mg/l

Total SO2: 71 mg/l

Volatile Acidity: 0.8 g/l

Closure: Natural Cork

Vegan: Yes

Voice Recording: https://blankbottle.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Bom21.m4a