Luddite Saboteur Red 2021

Luddite Saboteur Red 2021

2009 was the maiden vintage of the Saboteur Red. This was an exciting year for the Luddites. It was the year they used their own cellar for the first time and the first year that all the grapes were sourced from the Bot River valley. It was also the first time that a new wine was bottled to join the Luddite Shiraz.

Grape Varietals & Region: A blend of Shiraz, Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon, Mourvedre from Bot River, South Africa, as well as some smaller regions across the Cape South Coast, like Overberg & Walker Bay

Taste Profile: Ruby to bright red in color. Aromas of bright red & cherry fruit with allspice. Juicy red fruit on entry. Vibrant fruit on mid-palate. Medium structured with a long elegant refreshing finish.

Winemaking Process: 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.