David Finlayson CAB et al 2020

Having worked at the world famous Chateau Margaux in his early winemaking career, David fully understands the nature of making a good Bordeaux style blend. In the Cab et al, he has changed the style from a wine that needs many years to mature to a softer, plush wine that is ready to drink at a far younger age. This wine is a blend of Stellenbosch and Paarl grapes made up from juicy Cabernet Sauvignon with a splash of rich Merlot, fruity Cabernet Franc and graphite Petit Verdot to back it up and broaden the flavor spectrum.

52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Petit Verdot, 20% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc

Ideal to serve with robust dishes such as lamb shank or steak hollandaise. It will also pair well with vegetarian dishes such as Biryani and vegetable curry. Perfectly suited to enjoying by a warm fireplace or watching the sun go down.

The grapes for this wine are hand picked then sorted through a Pellenc selective de-stemmer which ensures that only the best berries go into the fermenters.

Fermentation is done in Stainless steel tanks of 75 hl over a period of approximately 3 weeks with 10 days maceration on the skins post ferment. Pump overs and punch downs occur 2-3 times per day and are done gently so as to extract colour but not harsh tannins. Pressing is done very gently in a bag press to only extract the soft tannins. Maturation is done for 14 months in a combination of 95 % French oak and 5% American oak. The wine is fined with Vegecol before a soft filtration and bottling.

Even the king of red grapes sometimes needs a little help from its friends. This wine is a culmination of the many years’ experience I had working in, visiting, and studying the wines made on the left bank of the Gironde River.