Lion Hound Red Ridgeback
Tasting Notes
An intense, juicy red blend of dark cherries, plum and liquorice with a hint of cigar box and wood spice. The creamy midpalate evolves to a long, savoury finish
Viticulture
There are 5 varieties used in this blend:
Shiraz 46%, Merlot 14%, Grenache 8% , Mourvedre 10%, Cabernet Sauvignon 22%
The North-South facing vineyards used for this wine are grown in a combination of Glenrosa and Oakleaf soils. The vines are vertically trellised for optimal bunch and berry ripening and irrigation is scheduled according to soil moisture monitoring.
Winemaking
The 5 varieties were harvested individually between 14 February and 4 March 2020 and destemmed onto a sorting table with only lightly crushing to prevent any damage to the pips. Each variety was fermented separately in open top stainless-steel fermenters.
The fermentation ran at 24-28 degrees Celsius with commercial yeast strains suited to the varieties. A 30% whole berry component ensured gentle extraction during pumpovers which were done 3-4 times daily.
The wines were removed from the skins before complete dryness in order to retain softness.
All red wines underwent MLF and a portion of the wine was matured on oak staves while the remainder underwent 12 months of ageing in third and fourth fill barrels ensuring good wood/fruit integration.
The wine was then blended and lightly filtered shortly before bottling.
An intense, juicy red blend of dark cherries, plum and liquorice with a hint of cigar box and wood spice. The creamy midpalate evolves to a long, savoury finish
Viticulture
There are 5 varieties used in this blend:
Shiraz 46%, Merlot 14%, Grenache 8% , Mourvedre 10%, Cabernet Sauvignon 22%
The North-South facing vineyards used for this wine are grown in a combination of Glenrosa and Oakleaf soils. The vines are vertically trellised for optimal bunch and berry ripening and irrigation is scheduled according to soil moisture monitoring.
Winemaking
The 5 varieties were harvested individually between 14 February and 4 March 2020 and destemmed onto a sorting table with only lightly crushing to prevent any damage to the pips. Each variety was fermented separately in open top stainless-steel fermenters.
The fermentation ran at 24-28 degrees Celsius with commercial yeast strains suited to the varieties. A 30% whole berry component ensured gentle extraction during pumpovers which were done 3-4 times daily.
The wines were removed from the skins before complete dryness in order to retain softness.
All red wines underwent MLF and a portion of the wine was matured on oak staves while the remainder underwent 12 months of ageing in third and fourth fill barrels ensuring good wood/fruit integration.
The wine was then blended and lightly filtered shortly before bottling.
