Tokara, Reserve Collection Cabernet Sauvignon 2022

Description

Tokara’s sought-after and award-winning Reserve Collection consists of expressive and layered wines that showcase the unique attributes of terroir specific, single-vineyard offerings and are produced in limited quantities.

ORIGIN
This wine is made from Tokara’s Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards on the slopes of the Simonsberg Mountain in Stellenbosch.

CROPPING AND HARVESTING
Only grapes from the Reserve blocks and from the best parts of these blocks are used. The vineyards yielded between 7 and 8 t/ha. The grapes were hand-picked at optimal ripeness between the 24th and the 31st March.

WINEMAKING
The grapes were de-stemmed, before passing across a sorting table for the removal of all unwanted material and then crushed directly into tanks for fermentation without the use of pumps. There is first a period of cold maceration for up to 5 days before the fermentation starts spontaneously. The grapes were fermented in stainless steel and wooden upright (foudre) fermenters. Pump-overs, délestage and punching down of the cap were implemented twice a day for extraction until the fermentation completed. The tanks were given maceration post fermentation. The wines were put to barrel for malolactic fermentation after which they were racked, sulphured and put back to barrel for further maturation. The wines spent a total of twenty-two months in 55% new French oak – the rest being older French oak barriques. During maturation the wines received four racking’s, all done barrel to barrel. The wine was bottled in January 2024 with no fining and a light filtration.

TASTING NOTES
The wine displays a brilliant purple-black core and deep ruby edge. The nose leads with classic aromas of cassis, black cherry, subtle dried lavender and graphite. There is an intriguing freshness underscoring these aromas with hints of briary fruit and Chinese five spice. The palate is full-bodied with dense fine-grained tannins, indulgent ripe fruit and a multi-layered persistent finish.

Food pairing: Slow braised beef cheek, with pomegranate jus and onion marmalade phyllo parcel. Or Beef short rib, braised and served in an Asian style broth paired with crispy vegetable wontons and a panko crusted dauphinoise.

ANALYSIS
A l c . Vo l % – 14.5%
Residual Sugar – 2.8g/L
Total Acidity – 5.5g/L
p H – 3.53

Additional information

Slow braised beef cheek, with pomegranate jus and onion marmalade phyllo parcel. Or Beef short rib, braised and served in an Asian style broth paired with crispy vegetable wontons and a panko crusted dauphinoise.