WBW: Robertson Winery Cabernet Sauvignon 2003

At my local wine merchant, it was explained to me that the distributors to Hawaii don't stock many South African wines that are worth drinking, leaving me with a choice between several Fairview varieties, a Warwick Estate Pinotage (selling well because it was "featured on the Food Channel") and a Robertson Winery Cabernet Sauvignon 2003. I chose the Cab, a relative bargain at $8.75.

I was able to find an unusual amount of detail about the harvesting and fermenting of this particular batch of Cabernet Sauvignon at everywine.co.uk:

Spring arrived at the beginning of September; overall bud break was very good due to the cold conditions of winter. Night temperatures in October and November were significantly cooler compared to the previous year. This ensured good acidities. The Cabernet Sauvignon vines are planted from East to West to protect grapes from direct sunlight. Vines are grown in deep soft Karoo soil and weathered shale on the lower mountain slopes in the valley. A rich, natural lime content in the soil ensures a healthy growing medium. Controlled irrigation produced smaller berries and concentrate flavour in the grape. Fruit was harvested in the last week of February from Grapes harvested at full ripeness from a selection of 43 vineyards specially selected in the Robertson Valley. The grapes were cold soaked for two days prior to fermentation to ensure optimum colour and flavour extraction. Fermentation happened in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks at 25º Celsius for 6 days. The wine was then matured on French oak for 7 months to add weight and complexity.

I tasted this wine with several friends, accompanied by a small platter of green apple, wheat crackers and Fiscalini Farmstead Cabernet Soaked Cheddar. The platter contents were picked almost at random, but each helped isolate particular flavors in the wine.

The color is a deep ruby red, brightening only towards the very edges of the glass. Swirling the glass, I smelled raspberries and a touch of alcohol. Brian said the aroma reminded him of a fresh rainfall.

The first sip is very earthy, evoking for me the peat and smoke of single malt scotch but with far less aggression. As subsequent sips spread and lingered across the tongue I tasted at times raspberry, fresh cut grass and a mild alcohol bite.

Based on the description in the store, I expected a bigger, bolder wine, but this Cab is confident without being in your face. I imagine that's what the bottle means when it says, "a friendly new Cape style with no hard edges." The bottle also says it has a mulberry palate, but c'mon now. How many people really know what a mulberry tastes like? I don't.

Overall, we each liked this wine. I enjoyed the peat flavors quite a bit, and could see myself buying this again, especially at the price.