This vintage was picked at slightly lower sugars than previous vintages due to this being 3rd year of drought and the vines struggled. To prevent stress on the vines and grapes, picking was done 7-10 days earlier than normal. This resulted in a fresher style of GS for the 2018 vintage. Grapes from this special, low yielding, old, heavy clay and gravel soil vineyard, was hand-picked in small boxes before being berry sorted at the winery. Not much sorting necessary as these pea-sized berries and tiny bunches were in perfect condition. Alcoholic fermentation was done in closed 3000L tanks, with cultured yeasts. Only the free run juice is used to make GS – (bag) pressed juice is separated and used for his lower tier Cab. Maceration lasted 21 days, with pump overs twice daily. Once ready, wine was racked to med-toast French oak (50% new & 50% 2nd fill) where is spent 18 months. During this time it received 1 racking. Coarse filtration and Vegecol fining were done, along with a tiny sulfur adjustment, pre- bottling. This is a wine made to be a benchmark amongst SA Cabernet Sauvignons, while not being the more typical greener style of many Stellenbosch Cabs, but rather riper, more fruit driven. It is built to last multiple decades. 4000 btls made.