Vergelegen V 2005

The nose is complex, showing blackcurrants, cedar wood, lead pencil and cigar box aromas. These develop in the glass and are joined by raspberry, black cherry, spice and a hint of gaminess. On the palate the wine is concentrated but elegant, with fine-grained tannins. These tannins soften even further in the glass, resulting in a luxurious wine with a long aftertaste.

IN THE VINEYARD
The vineyard used for the production of the V is Stone Pine IV. This vineyard consists of two adjacent units on the west to northwest facing inland slopes of Schaapenberg. It is relatively sheltered from the prevailing breezes coming off False Bay and therefore enjoys a slightly warmer but still predominantly maritime climate. The two units are planted on Hutton and Glenrosa soils and are both well drained and slightly limiting on vigour, but still offers a good buffer capacity supporting the vines in adverse climatic conditions. This combination of soil, climate and site ensures full ripening of the fruit without excessively high sugar levels.

IN THE CELLAR
The grapes were fermented in closed tanks at temperatures of 28 - 30 degrees celcius. The young wine receives a post fermentation maceration of 28 days, followed by malolactic fermentation in new French oak. On completion of the malolactic fermentation the wine is again racked into 100% new French oak. The V is matured in oak for nearly 24 months, followed by 18 months in the bottle before release.