A vintage release of the Les Grandes Horisontales Rouge – a wine only produced in certain vintage years when the right components are available for this blend. This 2016 release was vinified and matured by Jacoline and Johan Haasbroek, their ultimate contribution to the Les Grandes Horisontales range.
Three of the five cultivars are grown on the South facing slope of the Franschhoek Valley, shaded by it’s peaks for most of the morning. The resulting cooler, less Sunlight-exposed ripening climate carries it’s intention into this red blend. The Cabernet franc and Viognier components are grown on the opposite side of the valley, benefiting from early morning to afternoon Sunlight, before cooling rapidly into the evening. This provides conditions for slower, more complex phenolic expression while maintaining acidity from the cooler evening temperatures.
Hand-selected grapes were fermented and macerated over 3-4 weeks in open fermenters.
The basket-pressed fractions of each cultivar were individually matured in 2nd & 3rd fill 225L French oak barrels for 26 months.
The final blend consists of:
Analyses: