Major Series Cabernet Sauvignon

Port wine braised beef short ribs. Cabernet-braised venison cheeks.

As one of South Africa's leading ambassadors and one of the most recognizable faces in the world of sport it is befitting that Ernie chose Stellenbosch to produce his wines. In 1999 the concept of Ernie Els Wines was born and with the help of award-winning winemaker Louis Strydom they produced the maiden 2000 vintage of Ernie Els - a 'classic' Bordeaux blend. The intention from the outset was to focus on delivering a quality product that could hold its own in the company of the world's finest wines.

The 2022 vintage will definitely be remembered as the year where we had good fruit set. After pruning, budburst came about two weeks later than expected. This resulted in flowering occurring in a period with cooler temperatures. More berries per vine means a good balance between reproductive and vegetative growth, and, because we restrict pruning to allow for a certain tonnage per hectare, we don’t overburden the leaves. Mild conditions allowed the vines to catch up nicely with warm days after veraison. The heat before harvest is very important for the development of red cultivars and especially for the premium quality of our Cabernet Sauvignon. The Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards grow on the warm north-facing slopes of the Helderberg region within the Stellenbosch appellation. The Hutton Clovelly soils contain a high gravel content which offers rich middle palate weight giving this wine exceptional depth and fruit purity. With an altitude of approximately 250 metres above sea level together with the cooling influence of the Atlantic Ocean just 15 kilometres away, this extends the ripening period by up to 3 weeks resulting in lovely phenolic ripeness.

Aged for 16 months in 300 litre French oak barrels (40% new). A small batch of Cabernet Sauvignon (8%) spend 8 to 10 months in terracotta.

The various Cabernet Sauvignon clones grown at the property were hand-picked, and great care was taken to ensure each block was processed separately. The bunches were sorted and destemmed before secondary sorting via an optical sorter took place. The whole berries were fermented in open top tanks. Premium selection grapes from selected parcels within the various clonal blocks were fermented in smaller open fermenters. Intermittent pumpovers and punch downs were done to ensure that the right flavours, aromas and tannins could be extracted from the berries. All ferments were meticulously monitored to ensure an optimal balance between flavour and tannins. After primary fermentation some tanks underwent extended maceration. Each clonal batch of Cabernet was micro-vinified in oak barrels and a small batch spent up to 10 months aging in terracotta amphorae before final blending and bottling took place.