2017 Constantia Glen FIVE
Technical data
A carefully crafted blend of 32% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 17% Cabernet Franc, 17% Petit Verdot and 10% Malbec, matured for 18 months in 75% new and 25% second-fill French oak (225L) barrels. Following barrel maturation, the wine only received a very light filtration before making its way into bottle on 5 December 2018.
With no fining agents used during the production of this wine, a harmless sediment may occur during maturation in the bottle. This is truly a stunning vintage of the Constantia Glen FIVE, which we hope will continue to age and develop beautifully in bottle, and it should easily do so for 12 to 15 years under ideal cellaring conditions.
Alcohol: 14,5%
Residual sugar: 2,3 g/l
pH: 3,48
Titratable Acidity: 5,6 g/l
Volatile acidity: 0,58 g/l
Harvest summary by winemaker, Justin van Wyk
2017 was really a fantastic vintage for the red varieties at Constantia Glen and the wines from this vintage have garnered the same respect as those made in 2015. The flavour of the grapes at the time of picking was concentrated and intense with bright aromatics. Good winter rains in June and July of 2016 provided the ideal foundation for our dryland vineyards before they embarked on a notably dry growing season, stretching from September 2016 to March 2017, when the harvest commenced. Although dry, the summer period preceding the harvest was incredibly cool, which meant slow and long ripening that allowed for the slow accumulation of sugars, and grapes that retained phenomenal acidity despite fairly dry conditions in what was considered a particularly severe period of drought in the Cape. Our estate vineyards showed remarkable buffering capacity during the drought and the 2017 vintage has delivered extremely elegant and refined red wines with great richness, texture, aromatic purity, and persistent, mouth-coating tannins.
The wines also have great structure and acidity, which will allow for superlative bottle-ageing. The 2017 harvest commenced with the first blocks of Merlot and Malbec on 14 March 2017 and we picked for over 5 weeks until the last block of the Cabernet Sauvignon was processed into the winery on 13 April 2017.
Colour
Youthful in colour with a very dark magenta core unwinding into a bright and lively garnet rim.
Nose
Bright aromas of ripe blackcurrant, juicy plums and fragrant dried herbs. This first impression is underpinned by a multitude of savoury notes that demand further exploration. Graphite, cedar and floral aromas start emerging from the glass, and finally once the whirling liquid comes to rest; the bouquet concludes with hints of violet, cassis and wild fynbos florae.
Palate
The palate has a dramatic entry as one consumes the concentrated dark fruit flavours that were evident on the nose, but the mid-palate displays fantastic balance between refinement and power. The textbook ripening conditions of the vintage combined with meticulous attention to extraction- and maturation methods in the cellar, have led to a compellingly structured wine with excellent freshness and depth. The delicious, fine-grain tannins provide a structured backbone and incredible mouth-coating texture. The wine comes across as tightly wound in its youth with enormous ageing potential. The ever-present Constantia freshness provides for a long, lingering finish that will have you beckoning for another sip.