The Richelle is a wine created to embody "completeness". It is not meant to
be the boldest, most expressive, intense and flamboyant wine in our lineup.
With this wine we showcase the unique character of the Banghoek Valley by
producing a wine with finesse, that has a solid core of fruit, that is full bodied
but with the elegance becoming of a wine made in a cool area. We blend our best batches to create a wine that is in harmony with itself. This 2018 Richelle is rich and brooding, with dark fruits and herbs on the nose. The palate is elegantly crafted with a seamless structure and a lengthy finish.
ANALYSIS:
alc: 14.33% / ph: 3.47 / TA: 5.7g/L / RS: 3.6g/L / VA: 0.69g/L
BLEND INFORMATION
Cabernet Sauvignon: 39%; Cabernet Franc: 39%; Merlot: 13%; Petit Verdot:
9%
VITICULTURE:
The vineyards are in the Banghoek Valley, Stellenbosch. Elevation is 300-350m
above sea level and is mostly southerly facing. This provides for moderate temperatures resulting in the late but slow ripening of the fruit. The soils are
made up of leached, decomposed granite and sandstone. Gravel in the upper layers provides for good drainage in wet seasons and clay in the subsoil provides for moisture retention in dry ones. Vineyards are trained on a 7-wire hedge and cane pruned by hand. Average yield is 5-8tons/ha.
HARVEST NOTES:
The dry 2018 harvest followed on an equally dry 2017. Dry conditions lead to
small berries and small bunches. We also experienced low disease pressure.
Late bud break and flowering. Some cultivars were more uneven due to rain
during flowering, but most blocks were even. We started picking early due to
nervousness about water supply, but as the vintage progressed, cool weather gave us confidence to let some blocks ripen longer. Cool nights and warmer days attributed to good colour and flavour accumulation in grapes. No usual February heat waves occurred, and grapes retained good natural acidity and ripened at lower sugar levels.
WINEMAKING NOTES
Grapes were harvested by hand and berry sorted into stainless steel fermenters. Fermentation commenced spontaneously and was finished with a pure strain. Extraction was done with a combination of punch-down, rack-and-return and pump-over methods. Batches were gently pressed and immediately racked to small French oak barrels where they completed malolactic fermentation. The components were racked three times to enhance clarification and development. Blending took place after 14 months aging, after which the composed blend was aged in barrel for another 4 months. The wine was bottled after a total of 22 months.Barrel composition: 39% new - 225L French oak.
AGING POTENTIAL:
This wine should improve with aging over a period of 10 years or longer, if it is stored under optimum conditions.
PRODUCTION: 6652 x 750ml
