Production: 82 Cases
Availability: Winery direct and select restaurant accounts
Vintage: 2017
Variety or Blend: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Vineyard Designation: Grower’s Series
Region: Beamsville Bench
Vine Age: 40-43 years
Soil: Mostly clay with limestone
Wine Style: Dry
Oak: 100% French Oak, 30.5% New Oak. Aged for 20 months.
Alcohol Content: 13.2%
PH: 3.64
TA: 5.85 g/L
RS: <3 g/L
Ageing: Drink now through 2028
Serving Temperature: 14 – 18 degrees Celsius
Winemaking:
The 2016 Lenko, Old vines Cabernet Sauvignon was harvested with excellent flavour in and the fruit was hanging clean on the vines. We started by destemming all of the fruit and about 50% of the fruit is crushed, while the other 50% remains whole berry during a 5-7 day cold soak. After cold soaking, we warm up the fruit for alcoholic fermentation. Once alcoholic fermentation is complete and the tannin structure is right, we gently press each batch of wine off of the skins and pump it to a settling tank. After settling, the wine is put into specially selected barrels for malolactic fermentation and aging. The wine is sulphured in barrel to preserve the character and fruit and continues to age with careful monitoring for 20 months. Through tasting and blending trials, the wine is then taken out of barrels, when ready, and blended into tank to integrate as the final wine. This is a special selected barrels who quality and balance was integrated, elegant and best for blending to create this small batch wine. A light filtration is carried out before bottling.
Appearance:
Opaque garnet with a ruby hue.
Aromas:
Sweet ripe blueberries, black currents and black cherries lift out of the glass. Prune, blackberry, fig, leather and baking spice follow. Underlying hints of roasted almonds, vanilla and subtle violet notes tantalize your nose.
Palate:
Fruit flavours of blackberries, blueberries, leather and dates are on the forefront of the palate. A combination of vanilla, black currants, and toast follow. A concentrated and ripe, medium-full bodied wine with depth and a textured mid-palate of toasted hazelnuts, clove and cocoa. The grippy, layered tannins and balanced acidity provide structure and focus all the way to the med-long finish. Lingering flavours of leather, cocoa and coffee remain on the finish. Secondary complexities persist in the background of this wine and will continue to develop and integrate over time, a wine to drink with red meats or game meats and to age in your cellar.