Keermont Cabernet Sauvignon grows in our Cottage Lane Vineyard on the Helderberg side of the farm. This vineyard is situated on the crest of a ridge (320m above sea level) so has aspects ranging from East through North to West. It is very exposed resulting in small berries with low yields. This has allowed us to make a relatively fine grained Cabernet, but the clay soils translate to a wine with power, tension and fresh acidity. We blend in a couple of barrels of other varieties to add to the complexity of flavour and tannin structure.

Small batches of grapes are specifically selected according to ripeness, harvested by hand, and vinified separately. This process is carried out gently and naturally in open top fermenters using traditional methods only. This wine spent 21 months maturing in seasoned French oak barriques before being bottled by hand on 10 December 2021. 8853 bottles and 101 magnums were produced. The Keermont Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 was bottle aged in our cellar for 16 months before release to ensure integration and improved drinkability.

TASTING NOTE

Dark ruby red in colour, this vintage has a vibrant bouquet of ripe red berry fruit, cassis, vanilla pudding, and a hint of dried herbs. The pallet is soft and rich. The tannins are round and gentle, while the natural acidity keeps the ripe fruit in check. Savoury notes of cocoa and cloves add character to the bright red strawberry and mulberry flavours which linger into a long, luscious, juicy finish. Drink 2023 – 2035.

VINTAGE REPORT

Winter temperatures at the start of the 2020 vintage were moderate with below average rainfall. Fortunately, we had a wet Spring which prompted the vines to grow strongly and develop a decent size crop. Early season was marked by fairly erratic temperatures with several heat spikes. These factors made farming quite tough with increased pressure from disease and insects and the vineyard team worked hard to prepare a good-looking crop.
Mid-Summer temperatures were moderate although we did experience a short heat wave in January. This was followed by a gale-force South-East wind which hammered the vineyards. This resulted in the grapes ripening quickly and, although we started picking at a normal time, by 10 March we had picked all the grapes for our wines.

BLOCKS

ANALYSIS

Alc: 15.0 %
pH: 3.73
TA: 5.3g/L
RS: 2.2 g/L
TSO2: 79 mg/L
VA: 0.98 g/L