Tokara Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Collection 2020

TASTING NOTES

This wine is a blend of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot and 3% Malbec. The grapes originated from TOKARA’s premium vineyards on the slopes of the Simonsberg Mountain just outside of Stellenbosch.

Only grapes from the best blocks and from the best parts of these blocks are used. The vineyard yield between 7 and 9 t/ha. The grapes were hand-picked at optimal ripeness between the 7th February and the 24th March.

The grapes were de-stemmed, before passing across a sorting table for the removal of all unwanted material and then crushed directly into tanks for fermentation without the use of pumps. There is first a period of cold maceration for up to 5 days before the fermentation starts spontaneously (without the use of selected yeast strains). The grapes were fermented in stainless steel and wooden upright (foudre) fermenters. Pump-overs, dellastage and punching down of the cap were implemented twice a day for extraction until the fermentation completed. The tanks were given maceration post fermentation. The wines were put to barrel for malolactic fermentation after which they were racked, sulphured and put back to barrel for a further maturation. The wines spent a total of twenty-two months in 49% new French oak – the rest being older French oak barriques. During maturation the wines received four racking’s, all done barrel to barrel. The wine was bottled in January 2022 with no fining and a light filtration. 17,932 bottles were produced.

The wine displays a brilliant purple-black core and deep ruby edge. The nose leads with classic graphite notes, black cherry and briary fruits interwoven with aromas of cassis and five spice. There is a deft freshness underscoring these aromas with hints of ripe tomato skin and fynbos scrub. The palate is pleasantly full-bodied with flavours mirroring aromas all leading to a multilayered persistent finish.

Roast red meat dishes. Grilled steak with Bearnaise sauce or Parmigiana Melanzane.