Le Riche Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2017

Le Riche Wines was created by founding member of the Cape Winemakers’ Guild, Etienne le Riche in 1996 and is now run as a family concern. Having started his career in the mid-1970s and recognized as one of South Africa’s best Cabernet Sauvignon producers, Etienne decided to create a winery where he could specialize in creating Cabernet Sauvignon. He chose to select grapes from a network of trusted grape growers and from the best possible terroirs in Stellenbosch and surrounding regions. Rigorous vineyard selection, micro vinification, extended skin contact after fermentation and sufficient new oak to compliment the fruit balance all ensure the quality of his wines.

The Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is the flagship wine of Le Riche range, and uses hand-selected grapes from the best performing vineyard blocks and older, lower-yielding vines from Stellenbosch wards (32 % Firgrove, 25% Raithby, 26 % Simonsberg, and 17 % Jonkershoek). These selections are then micro-vinified in open-top fermenters. Extended maceration takes place in order to increase the overall age-ability of the final wine along with aging in oak. Fermentation is done with a selected yeast strain under controlled temperatures. Manual plunging during this period ensures optimal colour extraction. After five days the tanks are closed and allowed to macerate for a further period, of about ten to fourteen days. Pressing follows and the wine is transferred to barrel for the secondary fermentation. On completion a final quality check and analysis is performed and the Reserve is then prepared for barrel ageing. Bottling is followed by hand labelling and further bottle maturation.