Harvest started slightly later than average on Feb 18th, with consistent mild weather for the harvest period. Grape bloom and veraison were short, which facilitated evenness of ripening in our vineyard. The Cabernet blocks produced ne black fruit with excellent concentration. Cabernet Franc showed strong cassis avours and an elegant palate and fruit expression.
Cellaring this wine for two years will enhance integration and avor complexity and will reward the collector. With proper cellaring, Vilafonté series c 2014 will continue to develop its bouquet and palate for at least a decade and will continue to give pleasure for many more years.
Wine Description
The Story
Cabernet Sauvignon (65%) contributes to the structure, tannin base, and dark fruit; Merlot (19%) provides complex red fruits and smooth texture. In perfect synergy the Malbec (10%) adds to the succulent black fruit avors and texture. The Cabernet Franc (6%) provides high notes of cedar and violets, with elegance on the palate.
The series c was matured for twenty-two months in seventy percent new French oak barrels and a further nine months in bottle before release.
Series c rewards with immediate complex aromas of warm cocoa, toasted bread and blackberry jelly; denser than just primary fruit. The wine is layered with concentrated bright, ripe black fruit. It displays weight and density of avor on the palate without heaviness or heft and with a long intense fruit nish. Compact and re ned, series c is immensely harmonious with a sense of the explosion of avor to come.
Wine Information
Vilafonte is located in the Paarl-Simonsberg region on the northern side of the Simonsberg Mountains. Annual rainfall in the area is approximately 500 mm (20 inches) with gravelly clay and well-weathered soil. The “Vilafontes” soil type is the namesake for the vineyard and the wines. The area is gently sloping with a northwesterly facing topography, and all of the rows run parallel to the downhill slope. Vine spacing is at 1.2 meter in-row by 1.6 meter between-row to give 5,208 vines per hectare (or 4 feet by 5.25 feet, resulting in 2,110 vines per acre).