The grapes for the Mulderbosch Faithful Hound 2015 come from the finest vineyards in the Stellenbosch Wine Appellation, in what has come to be regarded as one of the finest vintages in recent years. The 2015 blend is made up of 32% Cabernet Franc, 31% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, 9% Petit Verdot and 7% Malbec, the full pack of the so-called Bordeaux Big Five.
The grapes are bunch sorted once they arrive at the cellar. Destalking then takes place and a spontaneous fermentation takes place with the natural vineyard yeasts. Later in the fermentation process a selected yeast strain is added. Aromas, colour, flavour are gently extracted followed by a period of maceration before pressing. Maturation then takes place in French oak barrels, 30% of which were new and the balance made up of second and third fill barrels. The wine was then prepared for bottling. The wine was highly rated in The 2015 South African Vintage Report by renowned British Wine Writer, Tim Atkin.
It looks like
Bottled under a natural cork closure in a Bordeaux shaped bottle with a brand new white livery. In the glass, the wine is deeply plum coloured at the core which pale out to a red tigers eye at the edges.
It smells like
A generosity of fruit, blackcurrant, roadside blackberries, oak and its concomitant spices. Undertow of pencil sharpenings and petrichor.
It tastes like
Ripe bloodplums, black berries, spiced with sweet brown spices. There is an undertow of savoury charcuterie in the complex and rich layers of the wine. But the classical almost retrained fruit is my best.
It’s good with
As a glass after a meal with a snap of Belgian Dark Chocolate creates the perfect atmosphere for post prandial philosophical conversation. HOWEVER, it is a food wine of some note. Ready for some real meaty flavours, or a lusty vegetarian dish with aubergines, mushrooms and tomato. Jane-Anne Hobbs’s Fillet, Rocket & Mash with Balsamic Glaze is the perfect dish to match the wine. Click here for her recipe.
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