Technical Analysis
For Ernie Els Signature, each variety is separately managed to create unique and varied flavour profiles in this classic, ‘médoc-style’, Bordeaux blend.
Tasting note
Opaque garnet with ruby rim. Cedar, a brush of ink against white paper, monastic and deep. Spiced black fruit plumbs these depths, shading in from juniper and blackcurrant to cherry and plum. Kaleidoscopic, in a shadow-sense, a dark fruit density unfurls in a complexity of flavours. This is the forest. Twirls of roasted fennel in concert with cassis and plummy merlot ride a fresh wave of mineral purity, balancing the rich and full-bodied nature. All this presence is folded in, again and again, by the smoothest of tannins; satin shaped by time. A blend of all five bordeaux varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon 60%; Merlot 25%; Cabernet Franc 5%; Malbec 5%; Petit Verdot 5%
Vintage conditions
The 2018 harvest season will be remembered as the drought season. At Ernie Els Wines we are very blessed to have bountiful water on the Helderberg. We were, however, still careful with our water use during the summer months leading up to harvest. We’d also been working hard to adapt our viticultural techniques during the previous three years to help the vineyards cope optimally with the heat and limited irrigation. The drought was further buffered by a surprisingly cooler season. Due to the somewhat buffered circumstances, the vines reacted gracefully to the drought with no abnormal growth patters observed. Vine canopies were kept nice and thin for sunlight and, of course, less leaves meant less water needed. Vineyards are resilient plants and its natural instinct in drier years is to produce smaller bunches with smaller berries. Small berries are usually the start of a great wine and 2018 was no different.
Vinification details
The grapes were hand-harvested in the cool hours of the early morning. Whole berries were fermented in open top tanks with intermittent pump-overs and punch-downs to ensure a balance between flavour, colour and tannin extraction from the skins. All ferments were meticulously monitored to ensure that the natural aromas and flavours could be preserved. After primary fermentation, some tanks underwent extended maceration. Each variety was matured separately according to and oaking regime suited to each batch, before final blending and bottling.
AWARDS
DWWA: Silver
Platter: 93 pts
Tim Atkin MW: 93 pts
Technical Analysis
For Ernie Els Signature, each variety is separately managed to create unique and varied flavour profiles in this classic, ‘médoc-style’, Bordeaux blend.
Tasting note
Deep garnet with ruby core. Evocative aromas of cedar, crushed mulberries, heirloom tomatoes dug out of the soil, sweetened by cassis opulence and refreshing hints of bouquet garni with lavender flowers. Classic and refined, the nose unspools with new leather, newspapers from the press, and cinnamon dusted plum. The 2017 vintage delivered concentrated fruit and this is evidenced on the weighty palate; showing off dark curves lined in velvet tannins. Sappy cassis and black cherry coalesce along a plummy line of acidity. The tannins are perfectly rounded by time in the bottle and draw the ample fruit into a beautifully dry finish that lingers with resonance. A blend of all five bordeaux varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon 60%; Merlot 25%; Cabernet Franc 5%; Malbec 5%; Petit Verdot 5%
Vintage conditions
The previous growing season had its challenges, which seemed to roll over into the 2016/2017 growing season with the continuation of the drought. Winter 2016 was quite dry with even less rain than the previous year. Spring was an illusion that basically went straight into warmer summer days. Bud burst was good due to sufficient soil moisture, but with the warmer spring/summer weather the soil started losing moisture quickly which naturally reduced shoot growth. The vineyard then naturally focuses its energy on developing and ripening the small bunches. Smaller berries led to more concentrated colour and flavour. The dry conditions also led to the vineyards and grapes being very healthy overall. With moderate, but warm days during December and January, the start of harvest returned to its normal date. The uninterrupted warmth during harvest also helped the bunches reach optimal ripeness while the berries steadily developed their flavours over a slightly longer period of time.
Vinification details
The grapes are hand-harvesting in the cool of the early morning. Whole berries are fermented in open top tanks and barrels with intermittent pump-overs and punch- downs to ensure a balance between flavour, colour and tannin extraction from the skins. All ferments are meticulously monitored to ensure that all the natural aromas and flavours are preserved. After primary fermentation, some tanks will undergo extended maceration. Each variety is matured separately in oak before final blending.
AWARDS
DWWA: Gold
Platter: 95 pts
Wine Advocate: 91+ pts
Technical Analysis
For Ernie Els Signature, each variety is separately managed to create unique and varied flavour profiles in this classic, ‘médoc-style’, Bordeaux blend.
Tasting note
There are notes of menthol and a touch of eucalyptus that adds a fresh counter point to the dark brooding fruit, typical of this vintage. Warm oak notes add gravitas and a luxurious attraction to the nose. It leads to a palate that teems with rich fruit and notes of cherry tobacco, with a further herbal edge and grippy lead pencil on the finish. A touch leaner than other vintages, the wine is nonetheless sumptuous, with dry defined tannins and a silky yet serious end. It will require a year or so for the lick of oak to amalgamate. A blend of all five bordeaux varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon 60%; Merlot 25%; Cabernet Franc 5%; Malbec 5%; Petit Verdot 5%
Vintage conditions
Challenging conditions led to a reduced wine grape crop for South African producers in 2016, but grapes were healthy and the concentrated flavours promised good wines. The weather was very warm, especially from the end of October towards the end of January, which restricted the growth and constituted lower bunch masses and smaller berries. However, the dry conditions led to the vineyards and grapes being healthy overall, and although the harvest period started and ended earlier, the wines from the 2016 vintage appear to be quite good, with good structure and flavours.
Vinification details
The grapes are hand-harvesting in the cool of the early morning. Whole berries are fermented in open top tanks and barrels with intermittent pump-overs and punch- downs to ensure a balance between flavour, colour and tannin extraction from the skins. All ferments are meticulously monitored to ensure that all the natural aromas and flavours are preserved. After primary fermentation, some tanks will undergo extended maceration. Each variety is matured separately in oak before final blending.
AWARDS
Tim Atkin MW: 93 pts
Platter: 93 pts
Technical Analysis
For Ernie Els Signature, each variety is separately managed to create unique and varied flavour profiles in this classic, ‘médoc-style’, Bordeaux blend.
Tasting note
Fruit cake plus a mixture of dried fruits, plums, mince pie, cocoa dust, vanilla and prunes. Secondary aromas of leather, tobacco, cigar, pipe tobacco and charcoal counter the dense cherry-cola fruit purity. Serious and layered with elements of fynbos to add lift to a firm palate with a long and delicious finish. It is powerful, full-bodied, classic, dry and long ending. A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 5% Malbec, 5% Petit Verdot.
** Gift boxed**
Vintage conditions
The vintage will be remembered as one of the driest and earliest in years, with a somewhat smaller wine grape harvest promising exceptional wines. Good reserves were accumulated during the post-harvest period in April and May, after which leaf fall generally occurred at the right time. A cold, wet winter led to the accumulation of sufficient cold units for the full breaking of dormancy, which contributed to even bud break. Warm weather in August resulted in earlier bud break, after which a warm, dry and windy summer kept vineyard growth under control and accelerated ripening by approximately two weeks. The dry weather also led to one of the healthiest seasons in years, with almost no losses due to diseases or rot. With the absence of the usual heat waves in most regions, cooler than usual weather in February was ideal for ripening and harvesting. Smaller berries, as well as moderate temperatures during the harvest time led to good colour and intense flavour in this year’s red wines. Although somewhat smaller, this was one of the best, if not the best, harvests in years.
Vinification details
The grapes were hand harvested in the cool of the early morning. Whole berries were fermented in open top tanks and barrels with intermittent pump-overs and punch-downs to ensure a balance between flavour, colour and tannin extraction from the skins. All ferments were meticulously monitored to ensure that all the natural aromas and flavours were preserved. After primary fermentation, some tanks underwent extended maceration. Each variety was matured separately in oak before final blending.
Technical Analysis
For Ernie Els Signature, each variety is separately managed to create unique and varied flavour profiles in this classic, ‘médoc-style’, Bordeaux blend.
Tasting note
Dark at the core with a crimson rim, this is full-bodied, elegantly endowed and finely poised. The nose unravels with pencil shavings, wet earth, cedar, dried leaves and an array of sweet fruits. The new oak is well integrated into a richly-concentrated palate, framed by dry, yet detailed tannins. It offers a contrast of classic nuances, luxuriously pure fruit and modern styling with ample structure and depth for it to age effortlessly for a decade or more. A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 5% Malbec and 5% Petit Verdot.
** Gift boxed**
Vintage conditions
Initial vineyard growth was slow due to late cold fronts experienced during August 2013 followed by cool, wet weather at the start of the growing season leading to relatively high incidence of disease. Mid-November rainfall further hampered effective disease control by creating challenging spraying conditions and limiting access to the vineyards. As a result, downy mildew led to crop losses early on in the season in some of the estate’s red wine areas. Thereafter, favourable climatic conditions improved for flowering and good berry set ensued. The high rainfall in mid-November did however spark vigorous growth which required extra input to ensure superior grape quality and disease prevention through good canopy aeration and sunlight exposure. Widespread rainfall during early January increased pressure on viticulturists due to the threat of disease and even further rot. Ideal dry and moderate conditions reigned during ripening in January and mid-February after which a warm period accelerated ripening and resulted in great pressure on harvest intakes.
Vinification details
The grapes are hand-picked in the cool of early morning. Whole berries are fermented in open top tanks and barrels with intermittent pump-overs and punch downs to ensure a balance between flavour, colour and tannin extraction from the skins. All ferments are meticulously monitored during fermentation to ensure that all the natural aromas and flavours are preserved and highlighted as required. After primary fermentation some tanks and barrel will undergo extended maceration as required. Each variety is maturated separately (micro-vinified) in oak barrels before blending and eventual bottling.
AWARDS
IWSC: Gold
Tim Atkin MW: 93 pts
