Technical Analysis
Named in honour of the Baroque music DeMorgenzon pipe to their vines, Maestro White is a Rhône-style blend of white grapes.
Tasting note
The nose shows notes of concentrated orange and yellow stone fruits, with a hint of spice, citrus and blossoms. The palate is full-bodied, textured and nuanced with a lingering aftertaste. A blend of 59% Roussanne, 14% Chenin Blanc, 10% Grenache Blanc, 9% Marsanne and 8% Viognier.
Vintage conditions
On the back of a cold and wet winter, the 2020 growing season began very early, with homogenous budburst and even shoot growth. Summer was relatively mild, without the heatwaves often experienced in the Cape. The resultant crop retained high levels of natural acidity and abundant concentration of flavour. The whites of 2020 are particularly exceptional.
Vinification details
Grape varieties were picked across a range of different ripeness levels, sorted and whole bunch pressed after pre-chilling. Fermentation occurred naturally in small French oak barrels and cement eggs. Total ageing was 10 months from vintage with blending occurring after 8 months. A light filtration and fining took place before bottling.
AWARDS
Tim Atkin MW: 93 pts
Platter: 92 pts
IWC & DWWA: Silver
Technical Analysis
Named in honour of the Baroque music DeMorgenzon pipe to their vines, Maestro White is a Rhône-style blend of white grapes.
Tasting note
The nose shows notes of concentrated orange and yellow stone fruits, with a hint of spice, citrus and blossoms. The palate is full-bodied, textured and nuanced with a lingering aftertaste. A blend of 48% Roussanne, 21% Chenin Blanc, 9% Chardonnay, 9% Viognier, 9% Marsanne and 4% Grenache Blanc.
Vintage conditions
2019 was a cooler vintage than the previous hot and dry years. Whilst the vineyards benefited from decent winter rainfall there were some latent stress effects from the previous year’s drought conditions. This resulted in some uneven budding and careful harvesting was necessary to achieve a total pick of optimum ripeness. Cool conditions during the early part of the ripening resulted in high acidities and low pH, resulting in wines that are fresh, precise and bright.
Vinification details
Grape varieties were picked across a range of different ripeness levels, sorted and whole bunch pressed after pre-chilling. Fermentation occurred naturally in small French oak barrels and cement eggs. Total ageing was 10 months from vintage with blending occurring after 8 months. A light filtration and fining took place before bottling.
AWARDS
Tim Atkin MW: 93 pts
Vinous: 91 pts
Wine Advocate: 90 pts
Technical Analysis
Named in honour of the Baroque music DeMorgenzon pipe to their vines, Maestro White is a Rhône-style blend of white grapes.
Tasting note
The nose shows notes of concentrated orange and yellow stone fruits, with a hint of spice, citrus and blossoms. The palate is full-bodied, textured and nuanced with a lingering aftertaste. A blend of 38% Roussanne, 26% Chenin Blanc, 22% Grenache Blanc, 8% Viognier and 6% Marsanne.
Vintage conditions
2018 was dry vintage in the Cape. Thunderstorms in early spring added a lot of nitrogen to the soils resulting in very healthy canopies entering the growing season. The daytime temperatures during the ripening period were cooler than what was experienced in the very hot 2016 and 2017 vintages, with relatively cool evenings. Conditions were very dry though, with vine stress management being the key to success. Fruit harvesting tended to be very early with the focus on bringing fruit into the winery with lower sugar levels and lower pH levels..
Vinification details
Grape varieties were picked across a range of different ripeness levels, sorted and whole bunch pressed after pre-chilling. Fermentation occurred naturally in small French oak barrels and cement eggs. Total ageing was 10 months from vintage with blending occurring after 8 months. A light filtration and fining took place before bottling.
AWARDS
Tim Atkin MW: 93 pts;
Technical Analysis
Named in honour of the Baroque music DeMorgenzon pipe to their vines, Maestro White is a Rhône-style blend of white grapes.
Tasting note
The nose shows notes of concentrated orange and yellow stone fruits, with a hint of spice, citrus and blossoms. The palate is full-bodied, textured and nuanced with a lingering aftertaste. A blend of 25% Roussanne, 24% Chenin Blanc, 23% Grenache Blanc, 14% Chardonnay and 14% Viognier.
Vintage conditions
2017 was another hot and dry vintage in the Cape. Although the day time temperatures were warm, evening temperatures were much cooler than normal resulting in wines with incredible weight and texture, yet with great acidity and length. The dryness of the season resulted in minimal disease pressure with fruit arriving at the winery in very good condition.
Vinification details
Grape varieties were picked across a range of different ripeness levels, sorted and whole bunch pressed after pre-chilling. Fermentation occurred naturally in small French oak barrels and cement eggs. Total ageing was 10 months from vintage with blending occurring after 8 months. A light filtration and fining took place before bottling.
AWARDS
Tim Atkin MW: 94 pts
Neil Martin: 90 pts
DWWA, IWC & IWSC: Silver
Technical Analysis
Named in honour of the Baroque music DeMorgenzon pipe to their vines, Maestro White is a Rhône-style blend of white grapes.
Tasting note
The nose shows notes of concentrated orange and yellow stone fruits, with a hint of spice, citrus and blossoms. The palate is full-bodied, textured and nuanced with a lingering aftertaste. A blend of 32% Roussanne, 23% Chardonnay, 23% Chenin Blanc, 15% Viognier and 7% Grenache Blanc.
Vintage conditions
2016 was an exceptionally early vintage with grapes ripening quickly. Warm evening temperatures necessitated an early harvest to ensure fruit with sufficient natural acidity.
Vinification details
Grape varieties were picked across a range of different ripeness levels, sorted and whole bunch pressed after pre-chilling. Fermentation occurred naturally in small French oak barrels and cement eggs. Total ageing was 10 months from vintage with blending occurring after 8 months. A light filtration and fining took place before bottling.
AWARDS
Tim Atkin MW: 94 pts
Vinous: 91 pts
