Wine Wednesday: South African Cabernet Sauvignon
As the Spring Wine Grape Harvest Approaches, we thought we would check out some of the wines that South Africa has to offer.
Today we tasted a Cabernet Sauvignon. #HappyWineWednesday
WINE: Bob’s 2013 Overnight Express South African Cabernet Sauvignon
TASTING NOTES: On the nose are notes of raspberry, berry, flint, and oak. The palate is filled with flavor, yet soft supple tannins round out the mouthfeel nicely. A great wine to enjoy with grilled meats or a meaty pasta dish.
VITUCULTURE: The soil where these grapes were grown is considered “Clovelly, Stony Glenrosa soils”. Clovelly is a component derived from granite, usually red to yellow colored. It contains acidic compounds. It is found on mountain foothill slopes and on ranges of hills, with good physical and water retention properties. Glenrosa soils are typically compact, stony, and clean cut.
WINE REGION: Western Cape, 31 miles East of Cape Town
GEEKY THINGS: Wines from the Western Cape are where some of our Cabernet Sauvignon will be arriving from. Wines from these locations are often described as having a subtle mineral note which many believe is from the decomposed granite soils. The Granite Mountains are approximately 600 million years old, over 3 times as old as the soil in Napa where many of the Cabernet Sauvignon vines are grown.
Click to Download Tasting Notes
More information about our South African Grapes are on our blog. Check out the most recent “2017 South Africa Harvest” by clicking HERE.
Cheers!
The Musto Wine Grape Staff
2017 South Africa Harvest
Spring season is almost upon us and we have some great news. This year we will not only be offering Pinotage from South Africa, but…
Wait for it…
Cabernet Sauvignon from South Africa too!!
Also, we have additional higher-end regions where we will be sourcing our South African grapes. In addition to the Breede River Valley we will also offer grapes from Stellenbosch, Olifantsriver, and the Cederberg Mountains.
Stellenbosch:
Location: Western Cape, 31 miles East of Cape Town
Grapes Being Sourced: Cabernet Sauvignon
Grower Information: A meticulous vineyard manager, this Cabernet has intense fruit flavors. The grapes create full, rich, complex wines that age well.
Geeky Facts: “Wines from these locations are often described as having a subtle mineral note which many believe is from the decomposed granite soils. The granite mountains are approximately 600 million years old, over 3 times as old as the soil in Napa where many of the Cabernet Sauvignon vines are grown.” (via Wine Folly)
Olifants River:
Location: One of the Northernmost wine regions in South Africa’s Western Cape. It spans 90 miles between Lutzville in the North and Citrusdal Valley in the South.
Grapes Being Sourced: Cabernet Sauvignon
Grower Information: The grapes thrive in the hot, dry mesoclimates and are tempered by cool ocean breezes at night and good cold units during winter. These growing conditions make the perfect recipe for good quality Cabernet Sauvignon. Also, you will find pockets of very old, almost ancient vines in this area. Vines were first planted in this area in the 1700’s
Geeky Facts: The Olifants River is named for the elephants that roamed the region in the 18th Century. (via Wine Searcher)
Cederberg Mountains:
Location: 186 miles North of Capetown. The Cederberg mountains contain a nature reserve. The mountain range is named after the endangered Clanwilliam cedar, which is a tree endemic to the area.
Grapes Being Sourced: Pinotage
Grower Information: These Pinotage grapes are from older vines and are cultivated at the highest altitude in South Africa. You can expect intense flavors with high levels of complexity. These grapes produce excellent Pinotage and can be compared to Napa and Sonoma in terms of quality.
Geeky Facts: The mountains are noted for dramatic rock formations and San rock.
The Pinotage grapes should be arriving towards the end of March and the Cabernet Sauvignon grapes should arrive at the end of April. We are expecting more information about crop estimates, clones, yeast pairings, photos, and more. So stay tuned for more updates! Cheers!
Paso Robles Update
Paso Robles is one of California’s emerging AVA’s. It has grown from a sleepy town to a high end wine growing and wine producing region. Paso Robles Wine Country is ideally located along California’s Central Coast, conveniently between San Francisco and Los Angeles. Over the past decade the number of wineries has more than tripled, and Paso Robles is now home to nearly 200 wineries. Winemaking on the Central Coast began when the Franciscan Friars traveled through California establishing Missions. The Missionaries started planting grapes in 1790. You can still see these vines growing today. Since the original plantings of the Missionaries, Paso Robles has become a top destination for farmers to plant grapes. Many famous people have planted vineyards and started wineries in this region. For example, Ignace Paderewski, the Polish pianist purchased 2,000 acres in the 1920’s. He planted Petite Sirah and Zinfandel and eventually opened York Mountain Winery; which is still in existence today.
Paso Robles is comprised of 26,000 acres of wine grapes. It is one of the fastest growing wine regions in California and on the Central Coast. It has a diverse topography. There are rivers, roiling hills, flat lands, and mountains. The soil is comprised of bedrock, weather granite, marine sedimentary rocks, and volcanic rocks. Because of the many different soil components one vineyard block could contain several different soil types.
In terms of grapes, Paso Robles is known for growing Zinfandel, but has gained recognition for Bordeaux and Rhone varieties. The AVA likes to produce non-traditional blends. It is a valley that doesn’t follow the rules and expectations of tradition winemaking. The winemakers of Paso Robles like to make their own rules.
Musto Wine Grape Company will be offering the following wine grapes from Paso Robles: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Petite Sirah, Syrah, Zinfandel, and Old Vine Zinfandel.
- The Paso Petite Sirah resides on the East side of Paso Robles. Days are hot for a longer period of time than the west side but the temperature will drop down to 50 degrees and below at night. The grapes ripen while maturing slowly to produce a wine with aromas of blueberry, raspberry, and black coffee. The wines from this area show deep color, are full bodied, and have a smooth tannic structure.
- The Paso Merlot, and Syrah are sourced from Tolosa Winery from their “Meeker Vineyard” blocks. The Syrah is the Shenandoah Clone and on 5BB rootstock. Finally, the Merlot is Clone 3 and on 5BB rootstock.
- The Paso Zinfandel and Old Vine Zinfandel are sourced from the Steinbeck Vineyard. The Zinfandel resides on east-west rolling hills. The soils are calcareous and are farmed by a multiple generation vintner.
- The Pinot Noir is sourced from Opolo Vineyards of Paso Robles. The Pinot Noir vineyards are located in the Willow Creek AVA. This region cools down earlier than the East side. The area is known for getting any varietal ripe and mature. The soil is very calcareous which produces a very elegant Pinot Noir.
- The Cabernet is sourced from Parrish Templeton Vineyards. These grapes go to wineries such as Opolo and Justin. It is located in the “Pomar Junction” area of the Templeton gap. The soil consists of clay topsoil, over-lying a fractured calcareous base. This vineyard was created to produce high end Cabernet.
- Varieties from Paso Robles:
- Cabernet Suavignon
- Merlot
- Pinot Noir
- Petite Sirah
- Syrah
- Zinfandel
- Old Vine Zinfandel
We are currently taking orders for ALL Paso Robles grapes. The Pinot Noir will be arriving on 9/9/16. Make sure to secure your grapes today!
sales@juicegrape.com / 877.812.1137
Harvest Update: 8/25/2016
ARRIVING to Hartford, CT Early Next Week:
8/29/2016:
LODI
- Costamagna Chardonnay
- Lodi Gold Grenache
- Valley Beauty Barbera
- Smiling Baby Merlot
- Valley Beauty Zinfandel
9/1/2016:
LANZA – Suisun Valley
- Sauvignon Blanc
CENTRAL VALLEY
- Cry Baby Muscat (42lb)
- Muscat King (42lb)
- Cry Baby Thompson Seedless (42lb)
- Lugano Old Vine Zinfandel
- Lucerne Old Vine Zinfandel
JUICES from LODI
- A Mix of Varieties
Call 877.812.1137 or email sales@juicegrape.com for more information
Mini Harvest Report
It looks like Mother Nature is excited to get her winemaking on because the grapes are ripening early and fast! Download our E-Book for the ENTIRE list of wine grapes and juices we will be bringing in this fall HERE –> MWG_2016 Harvest Menu E-Book
Mini Harvest Report:
Central Valley & Lodi: Brix are in the high teens. We are expecting to have grapes in Hartford, CT as early as September 7th.
Suisun Valley, Paso Robles, Contra Costa, Amador, Sonoma, and Napa: The whites will be harvest on September 1st and should be to Hartford, CT on September 7th. The red grapes are maturing well. The Brix are creeping up there. We think that we are still on track for a September 15th harvest date, with the grapes arriving in Hartford, CT as early as September 20th.
Juices: California juices will start arriving on September 7th. We hope to see the Italian juices sometime in the first week of October.
Prices: The grape and juice prices will be available by August 16th. Please give us a call at the office to secure your order.
We look forward to working with you this fall. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us at 877.812.1137 or sales@juicegrape.com
Take An Adventure to Lodi Wine Country
We are bringing Lodi Wine Country to you this fall. An exciting time for the region, Lodi was recently named “Wine Region of the Year” by Wine Enthusiast Magazine. The grapes are grown in a Mediterranean style climate producing wines of great character and strength. Keep an eye out for our newer Italian Wine Grape Program from this region. These grapes will be producing some fantastic and age worthy wines.
Yeast Pairings for Chilean Wine Grapes
Yeast Pairings for Chilean Wine Grapes
Cabernet Sauvignon: BM45, BM4X4, D80, RC212, D254
Cabernet Franc: BM45, RP15, D254, D80, BDX
Petite Verdot: BM4X4, D80, D254
Chardonnay: QA23, VIN13, D47, COTE DES BLANCS
Pinot Grigio: 71B, VIN13, QA23, R2
Sauvignon Blanc: VIN13, QA23, R2, D47, V1116
Which yeast will you use? 🙂
Also, don’t forget to watch our Youtube Video on “Yeast & Stuck Fermentation”
Cheers! And Happy Winemaking!
Lanza Musto Vineyards – Cabernet Clone Descriptions
Cabernet 169: The Cabernet 169 clone is a French clone that. The first 169 clone to come to the US was planted by UC Davis in 2003. Since then, it has been gaining popularity in all the major Cabernet growing regions. Especially in on Mount Veeder. It has good berry size, high vigor, and a well-balanced acid to sugar ratio. The wine can be higher in alcohol depending on the winemaking style. It was created to produce a big and bold Cabernet with intense complexity. The color is a vibrant, deep red. The mouth feel tends to be bold and linger. This grape is definitely for the adventurous winemaker. (selling out as we speak)
Koch Cabernet: The Koch ranch Cabernet is farmed on incredibly rocky soil. The soil absorbs most of the moisture therefore producing a more intense fruit. This is only 8 acres, so please reserve your cases as soon as possible. We always sell out of the Koch Cabernet. (selling out as we speak)
Cabernet 15: This Cabernet Clone originates from Aquitcuine, France (South East France, Bordeaux, largest grape region in France). It is known for its high yield, high levels of Anthocyanins (attributes to aging and color), and high tannins. The wines are described as having raspberry, cherry, plum, and cocoa notes. It has an intense body and is structurally solid. Definitely an age worthy Cabernet.
Cabernet 8: The Clone 8 Cabernet Clone was one of the most popular plantings in France and then in the US in the 1990’s. From our research, it has been said that it was one of the plantings that came it California in a suitcase. Clone 8 is strong Cabernet producer that yields about 6 tons to the acre. The wines have great fruit characteristics, deep color, good sugar to acid ratio, and are structurally sound. The tannins are strong.
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