Layered nose of inviting tea leaf, violets, dark Christmas cake and black cherries. The palate is also layered, rich with those same elements – Christmas cake sumptuousness vying with brewed tea, tomato leaf and spicy, cedary hints from time in barrel.
Seductive, plush and elegantly refined but with a muscular power lurking deep down, this is an impressive, structured but rewarding wine. The integration of wood and fruit is impressive and it is beautifully balanced and long. The aftertaste lingers. A wine made for the long haul.
Seductive, plush and elegantly refined but with a muscular power lurking deep down, this is an impressive, structured but rewarding wine. The integration of wood and fruit is impressive and it is beautifully balanced and long. The aftertaste lingers. A wine made for the long haul.
For the 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon they picked the majority of the grapes from their Franschhoek vineyards and used a small percentage of excellent fruit from our vineyards in Groenekloof, Darling. The harvest begins with meticulous care—each grape is handpicked at the peak of ripeness and gently placed into small lug boxes. To preserve their pristine condition, the grapes are swiftly transported to the cellar in a refrigerated truck.
Upon arrival, the whole berries undergo a meticulous double-sorting process, including optical sorting, before being gently gravity-fed into wooden fermenters.
The winemaking process is as thoughtful as the selection. The berries are cold-soaked for a few days, allowing the flavors to deepen before the must is slowly brought up to temperature. Fermentation unfolds naturally, by the vineyard’s own wild yeasts. Post fermentation, the wine is left on the skins for an extended maceration of up to five days, extracting further depth and complexity.
The wine is then matured in 60% new 225 liter French oak barriques for 24 months, where it develops its character and structure. After this, it is bottled unfiltered, capturing the essence of the vineyard. To ensure ultimate harmony and balance, the wine undergoes an additional two years of bottle ageing before release. Only 25 barriques were produced for the 2020 vintage.
Winemaker: Dawie Botha
Upon arrival, the whole berries undergo a meticulous double-sorting process, including optical sorting, before being gently gravity-fed into wooden fermenters.
The winemaking process is as thoughtful as the selection. The berries are cold-soaked for a few days, allowing the flavors to deepen before the must is slowly brought up to temperature. Fermentation unfolds naturally, by the vineyard’s own wild yeasts. Post fermentation, the wine is left on the skins for an extended maceration of up to five days, extracting further depth and complexity.
The wine is then matured in 60% new 225 liter French oak barriques for 24 months, where it develops its character and structure. After this, it is bottled unfiltered, capturing the essence of the vineyard. To ensure ultimate harmony and balance, the wine undergoes an additional two years of bottle ageing before release. Only 25 barriques were produced for the 2020 vintage.
Winemaker: Dawie Botha
Anthonij Rupert Wines was founded on the farm L’Ormarins in Franschhoek. Originally owned by the late Anthonij Rupert, who passed away in 2001, the farm was taken over by his brother Johann Rupert in 2003. It was Johann Rupert who constructed a state-of-the-art winemaking facility on the estate, and the beginnings of what was to become a sprawling enterprise with a focus on terroir specific wines.
