Beaumont Family WinesAriane Bordeaux Blend 2016 (R181.50 per bottles, 6 bottles)
R1,089
About
Beaumont Family Wines have been making this classic Bordeaux style blend named after Ariane Beaumont. The first vintage produced was in 1998. Depending on the vintage the blend is either Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon driven. It also always has some Cabernet Franc for perfume and freshness. The 2016 Ariane is going to prove to be one of our great vintages. 2016 hasn’t produced the biggest wines but it makes up for that with layers of complexity and texture. This is a Cab Sauv. driven vintage with all 4 of the other classic Bordeaux varietals contributing to the blend.
Ratings and Reviews
A wine that over the years has raked in quite a few 4.5-star ratings in the platter wine guide. But its best ratings have come from the followers of the wine who come back every year to get their allocation.
Food pairing
Bordeaux style blends are always best suited to classic red meat dishes. But let this wine mature and you will be able to enjoy it on its own.
Winemaker
Sebastian Beaumont
Vintage conditions
I really, really love this 2016 vintage. It has produced across the board beautifully balanced and textured wines. Elegance overpower is the essence of this vintage.
VInification
After the grapes were cold-soaked for 2 days till natural fermentation started. A warm ferment of 28-30 °C was allowed with 2 hourly punch-downs in an open vat. Six days of fermentation with three weeks post maceration then pressed directly into barrel.
Maturation and ageing
Maturation in French oak for 18 months. Ageing, 8-15 years
About the wine
- Appellation: Botriver
- 2500 bottles produced
- Cultivars: 42% Cab Sauv, 26% Merlot, 11% Cab Franc, 11%Malbec & 11% Petit Verdot
- Alc: 13.6%
- TA: 5.8g/l
- RS:1.9g/l
- ph: 3.57
Writer's block
Ours is about 3 feet by 3 feet, and on our left is the account's block. The marketing block is down the hall.
We're joking. Obviously.
Ours is at least 5 by 5, and on Wednesdays we're allowed to write in coffee shops to maintain the illusion that we're "successful" and "writerly".
Coming up with a write up for the simple sake of a write up does, however, become difficult when we're staring complete lack of creativity right in the face. But apparently asking management to cancel all the deals for the day isn't a viable fix.
As they so delicately put it, it'd be like a comedian having the option to suddenly cancel a show if they're not feeling up to it. Not on our watch, they said. You'll do a write up whether you like it or not, they said. And be funny, they said.
So here we are, doing a write up and being funny.