Welgegund Heritage Wines Old Vine Cinsault 2019
South Africa, Wellington
Cinsault
Description
From a dry land bush vine single vineyard planted in 1974. Certified as a Heritage Vineyard. All fruit picked by hand into small crates, at 24 ° Balling. A small potion of the wine was fermented whole bunch in 500L open barrels with stalk while the larger potion of the wine was fermented whole bunch in stainless steel tanks. 33% wooded in 2nd fill 500L oak barrels for 14 months.The palate is soft and elegant, displaying the flavours of black cherry compote, red berries, cloves, lingering with mustardy pepperiness into a long finish. The tannins are soft with a well-integrated fresh acidity.
Awards
Gold Michelangelo International Wine and Spirits
91 pts Tim Atkin
Tasting Notes
Alcohol
14.0%
Analytical data
dry
Vinification
Extended cold-soaking for 48-72 hours before fermentation ensured good colour and flavour early on. Fermentation was partly natural, with different yeasts added for the desired complexity. The grapes were mostly whole-bunch fermented, with a gentle stomping action, with a small portion in 500L open barrels with stalks, and the balance in stainless-steel tanks. Malolactic fermentation - softening the taste and texture, adding complexity and character, and stabilising the wine - was completed naturally.
Vineyard: Single Vineyard
The ancient, decomposed granite of the foothills yields vines that produce intensely flavoured fruit ideal for creating the very best wines. The breezes funnelling down the valley from the Bains Kloof Pass moderate the extremes of the climate and the old dryland bush vines offer extremely low yields of fruit (average of 2,4 tons per hectare) with exceptional concentration. With quality the bedrock, the focus is on growing cultivars uniquely suited to the farm, namely Rhône-style varieties.
Soil Type
Decomposed Granite
Viticulture
The Cinsault grapes come from a dryland bush vine single vineyard planted in 1974 (46 years old) which is certified as a Heritage Vineyard. All fruit was picked by hand, at 24° B, into small crates - an extremely labour-intensive exercise when harvesting old bush vines.
Maturation
33% was wooded in 2nd fill 500L oak barrels for 14 months. The wine was not fined and only lightly filtered before bottling.
