Luddite - 'Saboteur' - Red Blend - Western Cape, ZA - 2021

Notes from the Winery/Importer

Finally, after six dry years, we had a normal rainfall year giving us slightly bigger crops and bigger berries. This has resulted in the 2021 Saboteur Red being lighter and fresher in style than the previous five vintages. This bright red fruit gives the wine an immediate drinkability. The Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache Noir and Mourvèdre were all fermented in small batches in open bins. We used less stalks than previous years due to the lighter vintage. Most of the Shiraz was fermented in stainless steel tanks with regular pump overs. All the components were pressed directly into barrel and aged separately. Some of the batches did malolactic fermentation in barrel which gives a fuller mouth feel and structure. This vintage was in barrel for 12 months with 20% new French Oak. During the blending process, great care was taken to follow the house style of Saboteur, which is increasingly building up a huge following, ie. bold fruit, good spice and soft tannins. The blend this year is 60% Shiraz, 15% Grenache Noir, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon and 12% Mourvèdre. A small portion of the Grenache Noir is from the 2022 vintage which lifts the freshness and red fruit spectrum of this wine. Grapes were sourced from six vineyard sites: Bot River, Gabriëlskloof Mourvédre harvested on 19th February 2021 Bot River, Luddite young block Mourvédre harvested on 25th February 2021 Overberg, Kempsrivier Grenache Noir harvested on 25th February 2021 Bot River, Luddite Grenache Noir harvested on 25th & 28th February 2021 Bot River, Gabriëlskloof Shiraz harvested on 9th,10th & 19th March 2021 Greyton, Greyton Oaks Shiraz harvested on 16th March 2021 Bot River, Gabriëlskloof Cabernet Sauvignon harvested on 17th March 2021 Overberg, Kempsrivier Shiraz harvested on 19th March 2021 Bot River, Anysbos Grenache Noir harvested on 19th & 21st March 2021 Bot River, Luddite young block Cabernet Sauvignon harvested on 20th March 2021 Walker Bay, Ou Meul Cabernet Sauvignon harvested on 21st March 2021 Average analysis of fruit at harvest: 23.5° Balling, TA – 5.6 g/l, pH – 3.65 Tasting Notes: Appearance: Ruby to bright red. Nose: Bright red and cherry fruit with allspice. Palate: Juicy red fruit on entry. Vibrant fruit on mid-palate. Medium structured with a long elegant refreshing finish. Analysis of the wine: Alcohol: 14.3% pH: 3.65 TA: 5.5 g/l RS: 2.2 g/l 23 800 bottles of this vintage were produced (12 800 cork, 11 000 crown cap & 1 030 magnums)

Notes on the Producer

Niels and Penny met at a friend’s 21st birthday party in 1985, where they discovered that they were both going to be attending Elsenburg Agricultural College in the new year. They became close friends at college, and romance blossomed late one night cramming for exams. He passed, she failed, but they’re still together. On finishing their studies, a desire to make wine but with no access to vineyards (these were the dark days in South Africa), Penny and Niels left the country in 1989. 1995 saw the Verburg family return to South Africa from Europe. Niels had worked as a flying winemaker in France, Chili, New Zealand and Australia, and even managed to make wine in Greece. A longing to work on a small farm led them to Bot River. After 8 vintages at Beaumont, they moved up the hill to a 16 hectare patch of land. Thirty years later, with three kids and six dogs, the Verburgs are happy on their hill, and Luddite wines has evolved into an established and respected brand.