Every good wine is accompanied by an even better story. This wine in particular has quite the tale behind it and it was almost never told.
12 hours before bottling my Northstar Cape Red Blend, which I made this wine as a component for, I was convinced to re-do my blend percentages in order to hold a barrel of this Cinsaut back to bottle on it’s own. It was just so elegant, fruity and full of life – it needed to be given a chance to shine on it’s own.
A few months later I opened the first bottle of it on the beach with some other winemakers and close friends. Man… I am thankful.
10 days of carbonic maceration in old, open-top French oak barrels created wild notes of bubblegum, candy floss, and watermelon on the nose.
Pressed by hand in an old wooden basket press, it naturally finished ferment in old barrels. Light in color and texture, the palate of this wine is filled with cherry, raspberry and vanilla – all held together with a gentle, silky tannin.
The finished product is the perfect summer red. Slightly chilled, BBQ just lit, and sand beneath your feet is the setting this wine requires.
The 2020 Cinsaut is paired with Cape Leopard Trust as the wildlife conservation beneficiary. R300 from every case sold goes to this amazing organization:
“The Cape Leopard Trust (CLT; Est. 2004) is a non-governmental, not-for-profit, public benefit organisation based in the Western Cape, South Africa. We facilitate and promote the conservation of biological diversity, with a focus on the leopard as a flagship species. The leopard is the last large predator and last member of the Big 5 to still roam free in the Western Cape. The species faces multiple threats, including limited and fragmented habitat, reduction in prey numbers and high levels of conflict with people.
The Cape Leopard Trust’s purpose and vision is to ensure the continued survival of leopard populations, help secure their habitat and prey base, and promote their coexistence with humans. To achieve this, we use scientific research, conservation-in-action initiatives and environmental outreach and education, in collaboration with communities, private landowners and organisations.”
