Yardstick A Gauche Selection Tradditionnelle 2022

	Stunning red Stellenbosch from Adam Mason
	With a nod to the famous left bank
	Harvested in Grand Cru level vineyards

Description
The À Gauche from Yardsticks winemaker Adam Mason is not only a fantastic red Bordeaux blend, it also has a particularly good story. The wine is Adam's Cape interpretation of the famous Bordeaux wines from the Médoc and a tribute to us Dutch.

Now you may wonder what the Dutch have to do with South Africa and Bordeaux. Well, it was Dutch colonists who brought vitis vinifera to the Cape in the 17th century and established Constantia. It was also Dutch engineers who drained the swampy Médoc and made it suitable for grape growing.

Adam makes the wine – as is done in the Médoc – mainly from Cabernet Sauvignon. He harvests the Cabernet in the renowned Helderberg, about eight kilometres from False Bay, in top vineyards with soils of weathered granite and clay. He completes the blend with Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and (unlike in Bordeaux) a pinch of Syrah. These grapes come from steep slope vineyards near the Stellenbosch Mountain Range, with red, iron-rich clay soils.

In the cellar, Adam processes the different grape varieties separately. After fermentation, the wines mature for about eighteen months in French oak barriques. Adam then blends the various components into the harmonious À Gauche, in which the power and structure of the Cabernet Sauvignon is perfectly complemented by the perfume and spiciness of the other grapes.

Adam himself says about his wine: 'My intention was to capture the ripeness of the Cape summer and at the same time do justice to the essence and refined texture of the classic Bordeaux varieties'. In our opinion, he has succeeded with flying colours. What an impressive and elegant red wine, with notes of cassis, plum and cedar, a ripe, creamy and powerful taste and an endless finish. It certainly lives up to its name À Gauche, referring to the famous left bank.

Drinking at
Beautiful, oak-matured red wine to enjoy on its own, or as a beautiful meal accompaniment. Delicious with grill & braai, entrecote with garlic chips, lamb chops with fried courgettes or old Dutch cheeses.

Tasting note
Deep ruby red wine with a seductive aroma of blue and black currant, plum, cedar and pencil shavings. The taste is full and creamy with beautiful freshness and firm, ripe tannins. Long finish that fans out with notes of toast and laurel.

Shelf life
Beautiful now; easily kept for up to 10 years from harvest date.