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Wine Description
The Story
At Reyneke we strive for quality with integrity. Environmentally, this is covered by our adherence to organics and biodynamics. Culturally we do this through our Cornerstone project.
Our workers are seen as the foundation of our house and the cornerstone of our business. After all, one cannot make great wine without good grapes and there’s no way of growing good grapes without having everyone on board.
The Indian philosopher Amartya Sen said that true empowerment is about the capability to choose for oneself. It’s something we wholeheartedly believe.
So we asked our workers what they’d choose for their life. The reply was home ownership and education for their children.
In the South African context, where houses and work are limited, much of the population is legally free but structurally enslaved. To stay on a farm one has to work on a farm and after many generations of labouring the vineyards and fields, it’s natural for parents to want their children to have a choice.
So, to give credit where it’s overdue, Cornerstone profits go to projects benefitting our workers and their families. To date, four worker families have been rewarded with their own homes, and currently we’re funding tertiary education for our first ‘farm child’.
It’s a small start but it will take us all down the path to the way things should be.
Wine Information
The Cornerstone has always been an important wine within the Reyneke range, with the proceeds of the wine helping the farm workers and their families. The workers being the cornerstone of the business. The components consist of 43% Cabernet Franc, 32% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Sauvignon. An intense sorting process of bunch selection and berry selection ensures that the best fruit is selected. Fermentation takes place in concrete fermentors. The wine spends 18 months in French oak barrels, 20% new and 80% second and third-fill.
Tasting Notes
This classical in style Bordeaux blend combines freshness with a real intense concentration showcasing the best of Stellenbosch. The nose presents a defined graphite minerality, with fresh perfumed red fruit layers of blackcurrant with hints of tobacco leaf and dried herbs. A wine which has lovely balance, with juicy tannins, adding structure and focus. This wine has considerable ageing potential of 7 to 10 years.
