The collaboration has paid off, earning friends and winemakers Niels Verburg of Luddite Wines and Brian Smith of Elgin Ridge Wines an impressive 95 out of a possible 100 points for their the. Cabernet Franc 2015 in UK Master of Wine Tim Atkin’s highly anticipated 2020 South Africa Special Report. The report was launched via an Instagram live streaming session on 10 September and had everyone glued to their screens as he revealed the big winners.
the. story started in 2013, when Niels and Brian met for lunch at Terroirs, just off Trafalgar Square in London. As was the custom when these two great friends and ‘regional neighbours’ ‘ get together, the lunch started early and finished late. This particular catch up, however, would forever be marked as the beginning of something quite exceptional. Whilst drinking a Cabernet Franc from the Loire, they hatched the idea of producing a world class South African Cabernet Franc.
After 16 days on the skins, the wine was gently pressed and fed into barrels, where malolactic fermentation took place. Élevage took place in three French Barriques – new, second fill and third fill. Prior to bottling, the three barrels were blended, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon was added to give support to the wine’s backbone.
The current 2015 vintage is a collector’s dream and is presented in an elegant three-bottle wooden case and is available at R5 000 per bottle. This is without a doubt a wine to add to any aficionado’s exclusive collection!
For more information on this limited release wine contact Marion Smith on marion@elginridge.com or visit http://www.elginridge.com or http://www.luddite.co.za.
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Categories: Cabernet Franc, Elgin Ridge Wines
Swirl and Spice 