Grape Varieties:
Cabernet Franc (85%), Merlot (15%)
Wine Making Method and Maturation:
The Cabernet Franc and Merlot was given a long cold maceration of 4 days after which they were individually inoculated with a yeast cultivated in Bordeaux.
The extraction methods included 2 punch downs and 2 aerated pump-overs per day until 10°B. 3 closed pump-overs per day followed, until all the sugar was fermented out.
The wines were then given a 2-week maceration on the skins before being pressed and MLF allowed to complete in tank and transferred later in 2019 into big 400 and 500 liter vats where it lay for 30 months.
The Winemaker himself did the final selection, blending and bottling in February 2022 and a mere 2300 bottles were bottled.
Wine Tasting Notes:
On colour
Survivor Cellar Master Series Cabernet Franc Merlot 2022 presents a deep ruby core with inky intensity and a faint garnet rim, indicating concentrated fruit, some evolution and maturation in quality oak.
On the nose
The nose is pronounced and refined, opening with redcurrant, dried cranberry and red plum, layered with plusher notes of mulberry and black plum that add depth and richness. Subtle cedar, wet slate and earthy tones mingle with sweet spice, leather, rose petals and violets, giving a complex bouquet that marries old-world savouriness with new-world purity of fruit.
On the palate
On the palate the wine is dry, full-bodied and firmly structured, with refreshing acidity and fine-grained tannins supporting an intense core of red and black fruits that echo the nose. Flavours of redcurrant, cranberry, plum and mulberry are wrapped in notes of cedar, earth and gentle spice, finishing long with a chalky, mineral-edged mouthfeel that suggests excellent ageing potential.
On the whole
A powerful yet polished Bordeaux-style blend, uniting vivid red and black fruit with fine tannins, subtle oak and a long, mineral finish.
