Lady Grey Cabernet Sauvignon is made with hand-picked grapes from a tiny block of young Cabernet Sauvignon grapes in a single vineyard in McGregor.

The village of McGregor was established in 1861 and was originally called Lady Grey, however it was renamed in 1905 in honour of the Rev. Andrew McGregor, who had been the Dutch Reform Church Minister for the Robertson district for 40 years.

From a low yield and superbly manicured block planted in the red-Karoo soils typical of this area, exceptional viticultural practices allowed the production of the finest quality grapes for this wine, the balance of which was used in our Stony River (Bordeaux) blend as well.

Once hand-harvested and sorted to remove all the leaves, the grapes were held in a cold room for 3 days to bring the core temperatures down to around 3’c. Following this, the grapes were lightly crushed and de-stemmed into the fermenter where they were further held at cold temperature and under a carbon dioxide blanket for another 3 days, to improve colour and flavour extraction before inoculating with yeast and kicking off the primary or alcoholic fermentation. This was also temperature controlled to ensure lower temperatures were achieved.

This was completed in around 8 days at which time we again sealed the fermenter and held the must on lees for an additional 4-5 days before using the old fashioned basket press to extract the juices and into the maturation stage on 31% new French Oak, a specially selected mix of toasted and untoasted oak that allows us to support the fruit with just the right balance that delivers a balanced wine with body and finesse.

The wine was matured at a stable temperature whilst the secondary, or malolactic fermentation continued and we carefully assessed it after 11 months of letting Mother Nature do her thing, with the wine flavours and aromas mingling with the Oak until we decided to bottle the wine after 12 months on the wood. This was done meticulously and carefully but with no filtration other than a very basic physical filter to keep out any naughty pips. No finings or stabilisation techniques were used prior to bottling and along with the practically zero filtration, we believe this allows the fullest flavours to shine through, just as Mother nature intended.

COLOUR: Really glowing but still dark. The wine is intensely coloured and although on closer inspection it shows its young age with a lighter edge, it unashamedly exudes that rich dark Ruby colour that one expects of Cabernet Sauvignon.

SMELL:
This wine is fruity and savoury at the same time, but the aromas are all bright and clean on the nose. It’s driven primarily by rich blackberry, ripe plum, and blackcurrants first since at Thorngrove we like the fruit to shine out, but then the subtle, but classic cedarwood, tobacco and leather type aromas gently show themselves. You may also pick up the lightest hints of mocha & coconut from the mix of French oak we use.

TASTE: This wine tastes just like a beautifully made Cabernet should, with more identifiable flavours on the palate than on the nose. Blackberry, cigar box and leather are there with balance, underpinned by a waft of smoky oak and soft acidity, but identifiable grip too.

The wine is a medium to full-bodied one with medium tannins and acidity, which when combined with our fruit-forward style make this a soft and luscious wine but with enough grip to hold its own on your dining table as well as sit quietly in your cellar for the next 5 years – if you can wait that long.

Cabernet Sauvignon generally has a rich flavour, decent tannins and nice acidity which means it can stand up well to rich dishes such as grilled meats, braais, and generally high-flavoured meals like stews and casseroles. It will also play nicely with powerful sauces such as pepper sauce.

Given the finesse of this wine, I think a pairing with beautiful, simple cheese, such as 6 months aged Cheddar, a mild Blue or a ripe Brie will have you bringing out the rest of your stash…

Lady Grey - Cabernet Sauvignon

ABV: 14.9%

RS: 2.9

TA: 6.1

VA:0.6

pH: 3.50