Metzer Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 South African Red Wine 75cl

Metzer Family Wines was born in 2006 after Wade had spent some time being mentored by Eben Sadie, who is the perhaps the most influential South African winemaker of the last 20 years. Wade sought out parcels of old vines tucked away from some of the flashier more touristic wineries and is currently working with 6 old vineyards under contract. The maritime breezes which come up from False Bay, and the altitude from the Helderberg itself give the wines from here freshness and balance alongside ripeness. His simple aim is to nurture this wonderful old-vine fruit from vine to bottle with minimal input along the way, allowing the essential characteristics of the fruit and vineyard to shine through.

In the Metzer cellar a great emphasis is placed on the minimum handling of fruit, and no mechanical interventions with pumps, filters and reverse osmosis machines never used in the process. Fermentation by indigenous yeasts, alive on the grapes and resident in the cellar, leads to long, stable extraction times. Wines are bottled unfined and unfiltered to preserve the "life-forces" from vineyard to bottle. A traditional basket-press is used for gentle extraction of the reds.

87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Shiraz, 3% Cinsault. The Cabernet components hail from two unique vineyard parcels situated in the Steynsrust area of the Helderberg. The blocks are planted on heavily weathered granitic soils and overlook the shores of False Bay. The grapes are de-stemmed into open top fermenters, and undergo a cold soaking for 3-5 days. The wine ferments naturally (without the addition of commercial yeast) for a period of 21 days during which it is punched down manually once a day. Thereafter it is gently basket pressed and moved by gravity into barrel. The 2018 was raised for 15 months in French oak barrels including 30% new wood.

The wine shows classic Cabernet flavours of ripe plums, herbs and cassis as well as a hint of smoked meat. The wine opens up with darker undertones of cigar-box and spice before a mélange of layered berry fruits. The palate is full bodied, lifted by a fresh acidity and framed by compact yet prominent tannins.