The Lost Vintage

Tuesday, 22 November, 2016
Springfield Estate
Springfield Estate is finally releasing the 1997 vintage of the Méthode Ancienne Cabernet Sauvignon, available for sale as of the 21st of November 2016.

THE LOST VINTAGE: 1997 Méthode Ancienne Cabernet Sauvignon

Over 20 years ago, our red wine used to be made with commercial yeast, and crushed grapes.

in 1997, on our path towards the way we make our red wines today, we made what is now known as Méthode Ancienne Cabernet Sauvignon, using native yeast and berries crushed before fermentation, for the first time.

This wine, with the additional extraction from the crushed berries, took much longer to mature and for the hard edges to soften. Even after two years in new French oak, and four years of further bottle maturation, it was still too closed and the tannin structure too tight to be released

Wine is made using trial and error, so from the 1998 vintage onwards we fermented the Méthode Ancienne Cabernet using native yeast and whole (uncrushed) berry maceration, creating softer tannins and wines that would reach maturity sooner than those made with crushed grapes.

We did not, however, give up on the 1997 vintage of the Méthode Ancienne Cabernet. It was kept in our cellar, dark and safe, and every few years a dusty bottle was taken home to be tasted, and the wine was declared ‘not ready’ once again. We even went as far as to experiment with ageing 600 bottles under the sea, corks sealed with wax, for 3 years, to see if it would speed up the maturation process.

Finally, the 1997 vintage of the Méthode Ancienne Cabernet Sauvignon, almost forgotten in the back of our cellar, has been deigned ready to be shared with the world. Twenty years is a long time to wait to release a wine, a decision that makes little financial sense. A once-off release from us at Springfield Estate, this wine is true testament to our resolution to never release a wine that is not perfect. A wine true to our motto: Made on Honour.

We will be releasing the two decade old, 1997 vintage of the Methode Ancienne Cabernet Sauvignon mid-November - if you are interested, please drop us an email for pricing - we will not be doing allocations for this wine so it will be sold on a first come, first serve basis. The Méthode Ancienne 1997 vintage will be sold in 2-packs as well as 6-packs.

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The Lost Vintage - Springfield Méthode Ancienne Cabernet Sauvignon Box set
The Lost Vintage - Springfield Méthode Ancienne Cabernet Sauvignon Box set

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