Leeu Passant Old Vines Wellington Basson Cinsault 2020

Kleur: helder volrood
Geur: aromatisch, veel rood fruit: cranberries, kersen en frambozen, rozen, tijm, kruidig.
Smaak: sappig, fris, zuiver, rijp rood fruit, fijne structuur en zachte tannines
Houdbaar: op dronk, minimaal houdbaar tot eind 2030
Lekker bij: luxe BBQ, belegen kazen, lamsgerechten. kalkoen of parelhoen, Iets gekoeld drinken zo rond de 15 graden.

Tasting Note:
This highly fragrant wine has an alluring and complex nose suggesting rose petals, fresh cherries, cranberry and a hint of thyme. The palate is vibrant and silky in texture, with linear notes of cranberry, cloves and pink peppercorns. Very fine tannins give a beautiful structure to the wine. Best served at 16-18°C.

Source of Grapes:
From an historic parcel of dry farmed bush vine Cinsault planted in 1900 in deep sandy alluvial soils in Wellington. This is South Africa’s oldest registered red wine vineyard and we have had the privilege to farm and care for it since 2014. Yields: 3.2 tons/ha = 18 HL/ha

Winemaking:
To enhance the terroir and naturally austere tannins of this special and historic site, we transferred 100% crushed whole-clusters to tank with minimal sulphur. No further additions were made. The natural fermentation began without inoculation and the wine was pigeaged twice a day. Temperatures were kept cool as Cinsault is otherwise a fast fermenter, and the fermentation lasted for 11 days. After 3 weeks of extended maceration, the wine was drained and pressed to barrel. Racking and blending took place mid-way through the year and the wine was bottled after 20 months in barrel.
Maturation: 20 months in 250L French oak barrels, followed by a year in bottle

Greg Sherwood rating: 95/100
This vineyard always shows plenty of structure, power and focus and the 2018 vintage is considered one of the most structured yet. In its current youthful state, the aromatics are distinctively stony and mineral but also fabulously perfumed showing notes of potpourri, lavender, bramble berries, fynbos and Turkish delight. The palate is incredibly precise and foursquare with a polished structure and frame you just don’t expect from such a delicately fragrant wine. The texture is dense and tightly packed, the wine concentrated and intense but also deceptively light on its feet revealing notes of cranberry, red cherry and wild strawberries on the finish all supported by the most powdery, silky tannins imaginable. A difficult wine even for me to put accurately into words because it is so evocative on both an emotional level as well as on a sensorial level. Drink this wine from release and over the next 30+ years