Leeu Passant Dry Red 2015 (magnum)

Kleur: donker robijnrood
Geur: knalt het glas uit, donker rijp fruit, bramen en kersen, duidelijk vanille van de houtrijping, waanzinnig lang.
Smaak: dik, zwoel en krachtig, alles veel: smaak, tannine, zuren, maar wel in balans.
Houdbaar: op dronk, nog wel lange tijd houdbaar, zeker tot eind 2028
Lekker bij: kan alles aan met veel smaak: wild, geroosterd rundvlees, lamsbout etc. Niet te versmaden bij oude Hollandse kaas, zoals Reypenaar.

Winemaking:
Grapes are cooled in our cold room, where after they are crushed and destemmed into tank, and 25 to 50% whole clusters are added to the Cinsault and Cabernet Franc. 25ppm SO2 is added, and no further additions are made. The must is initially pigeaged once a day. After about 4 days fermentation begins without inoculation and the wine is pigeaged twice a day. Temperatures are not allowed
to exceed 30°C. Fermentation lasts from 7 to 10 days. After fermentation, a couple of weeks’ skin contact is given and the wine is then drained and pressed to barrel. The wines are racked and blended mid-way through the year, and bottled after 18 months in barrel.

Maturation:
18 months in 225L French oak barrels; 30% new

TASTING NOTES:
This beautifully refined and elegant wine has notes of bergamot and a dark violet fragrance. The palate is structured, with fine chalky tannins, hints of spices and herbs, and fresh dark fruits. The finish is dry, vibrant, layered and long. Best served at 16-18°C, this wine will greatly benefit from decanting if drunk within the first 3 to 5 years after bottling and will reward if cellared properly over the next few decades.

Jamie Goode:
36% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Cabernet Franc, 31% Cinsault. Cinsault comes from the two oldest registered red wine vineyards: Wellington (117 years old) and Franschooek (91 years old), while the Cabernet Franc comes from high up in the Helderberg and the Cabernet Sauvignon from bush vines lower down the Helderberg. The new oak portion was fermented in upturned 500 litre barrels to achieve better integration. Floral, perfumed and beautifully aromatic. Very fine, a bit peppery and juicy, slightly grippy red cherry and raspberry fruit with some nice spiciness. Juicy, pure and fine with lovely precision.
95/100

Platter’s 94/100
From venerable dryland vineyards up to 118 years old, 2016 honours historical red blends by including cinsaut, here with cab, cab franc. Herbaceous, scrub notes, a berry/plum core, & the tensile strength to age. 30% new oak. Also in magnum, as white.