CONSTANTIA GLEN THREE 2015 14,5%
Merlot 62%, Cabernet Franc 25%, Cabernet Sauvignon 13%. Vundet bunker af anerkendende priser bl.a. 4½ stjerne i Platters Guide og 92 points i Falstaff Magazine.
'I næsen er der klare Bordeaux referencer … her måske med et smule mere solbrændt ansigt. Der er solbær, blåbær, blommer, pænt modent og med blæk, grafit, cigarkasser, mælkechokolade, en smule eukalyptus og et bundt tørre krydderurter.
Det er en meget smooth, blød vin, igen med solbær, blåbær og måske også lidt brændte elementer, kakao, mælkechokolade, peber, nelliker samt nogle tørre tanniner. Det er faktisk en fin lille vin, som faktisk overrasker med kvaliteterne i forhold til prisen.'
Vinmageren skriver: The nose is forthcoming with expressive red and black fruit flavours. Beyond these initial ripe fruit flavours, there is complex collection of savoury dried-herb flavours intermingled with notes of white pepper and graphite strung along with an intriguing lace of cassis, currant and the most elegant of spices. The dark fruit-infused savoury characters illustrated on the nose follow effortlessly onto that first sip where elegant, velvety tannins grip the palate in a vibrant intensity of flavour. This incredible richness and concentration of fine grain tannins is further echoed by an earthy minerality and the wine’s inherent freshness brings about a long, well-defined finish. This opulent, full-bodied wine possesses old world authenticity with its delicate herbal fynbos notes and the powerful fruit flavours linger endlessly.
HARVEST SUMMARY BY WINEMAKER, JUSTIN VAN WYK
2015 was a remarkable vintage for red varieties at Constantia Glen, despite the harvest being almost 2 weeks earlier than what we have been used to for the past few years. Good winter rains in 2014 provided a good foundation for our dryland vineyards before they embarked on a notably dry growth season. The summer ripening period leading up to the early 2015 harvest was cool, but very dry, which in combination with early bud-break in the atypically warm spring of 2014 led to our vines going through véraison a little earlier in this vintage. The vines were shaped in slightly smaller canopies, allowing good sunlight penetration and air movement in the bunch zone. This resulted in healthy bunches that enjoyed textbook ripening conditions. Although the harvest was 10 days earlier than we normally experience, our grapes still enjoyed similar extended hang-time on the vines due to the warm spring kicking off the season earlier than usual. The combination of all these factors resulted in red wines with very good ripeness, freshness and flavour concentration. This vintage also allowed for good structure acidity, which will allow for superlative bottle- ageing. The 2015 harvest commenced with the first block of Merlot on 6 March 2015 and we picked for over 5 weeks until the last block of the Cabernet Sauvignon was safely processed into the winery on 9 April 2015.
COLOUR
Youthful in colour with a dark, deep red core unwinding into a bright and lively garnet rim.
TECHNICAL DATA
This delicious blend was carefully crafted from 62% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc and 13% Cabernet Sauvignon and was matured for 17 months in 28% new-, 60% second fill- and 12% third fill French oak barrels. The wine was not fined, but only lightly filtered prior to bottling to subtly mellow the rich tannin structure. This elegant vintage shows the round, velvety texture that has become synonymous to the Constantia Glen THREE, but also has good structure and power meaning that it can be enjoyed in its youth, yet it will certainly age and develop admirably for another 10 years from the harvest under correct cellaring conditions.
FOOD PAIRING
Seared Springbok medallions with a smoked parsnip puree and blackberry infused jus. Slow roasted shoulder of lamb with roasted vegetables and tomato jam, on a bed of buttered polenta. Salted lamb chops or duck-breast grilled to crispy perfection over vine coals.
