Thelema Cabernet Sauvignon, Stellenbosch

Description

Thelema Cabernet Sauvignon is the red wine that first brought Thelema to international prominence.

Thelema, or Thelema Mountain Vineyards to give it its full name, was established by Gyles and Barbara Webb in 1983 when, with the backing of Barbara’s parents, they purchased the 62 hectare Thelema farm. A winery was completed five years later, and almost immediately, his wines were among the best the country had to offer. Giles was the original Thelema winemaker but has been cellar master since 2000. He is one of the people who has done his utmost to accelerate South Africa’s promotion into the top leagues of the wine world.

Thelema’s vineyards are located on the highest slopes of the Simonsberg Mountain and range in altitude from 370m to 640m above sea level. The vineyards are mostly south facing and this, combined with the height, makes their vineyards some of the coolest and most desirable in The Cape. The combination of cool ocean breezes and warm sunlight creates optimal conditions for producing high-quality grapes with excellent flavour and complexity. Thelema Mountain Vineyards focuses on producing premium Bordeaux-style wines, with a particular emphasis on Cabernet Sauvignon. However, they also cultivate other grape varieties such as Merlot, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier and Roussanne.

Thelema Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon which is sourced from selected parcels of vines planted in 2002, 2003 and 2008. The vines are planted on Hutton (decomposed granite) soils. Vineyard practices include vertical hedge trellising, pruning to 2 bud spurs every 15cm and supplementary drip irrigation.

The grapes are de-stemmed, keeping as many grapes whole as much as possible, before sorting over an additional vibrating table to remove all MOG(matter other than grapes). The fruit then goes to fermentation tanks where it is inoculated with a specific commercial yeast strain, ensuring the development of the perfect flavour profile. The wine is vinified in stainless steel with  a combination of aerative pump overs and punch down techniques are used to ensure optimal colour, tannin and flavour extraction. The wine then goes to barrels for malolactic fermentation. The wine is aged for 18 months in French oak barrels, 30% of which are new.

Thelema Cabernet Sauvignon is suitable for vegetarians and vegans.