Technical Analysis
From mostly weathered granite soils on estate vineyards, which gives the resultant wines a natural exuberance and youthful vigour.
Tasting note
Spice and mulled red fruit are present on a bright and elegant nose. The wine shows purity of fruit and a lovely depth of aroma. The palate is soft and appealing, yet with enough structure to provide a firm yet silky finish.
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
Fruit was carefully hand sorted and naturally fermented, whole berry with a percentage of whole bunches added to the fermenters. Post fermentation maceration was allowed for two weeks, followed by gentle pressing. Maturation was for a total of 18 months in French oak, in a selection of old 300 litre and 500 litre casks. The wine was bottled with minimal fining and filtration.
Technical Analysis
From mostly weathered granite soils on estate vineyards, which gives the resultant wines a natural exuberance and youthful vigour.
Tasting note
Spice and mulled red fruit are present on a bright and elegant nose. The wine shows purity of fruit and a lovely depth of aroma. The palate is soft and appealing, yet with enough structure to provide a firm yet silky finish. 100% Grenache.
Vintage conditions
2018 was a dry vintage in the Cape. Thunderstorms in early spring added a lot of nitrogen to the soils resulting in very healthy canopies going into the growing season. The daytime temperatures during the ripening period were cooler than those experienced in the very hot 2016 and 2017 vintages, with relatively cool evenings. Conditions were very dry though, with vine stress management being key to success. Fruit harvesting tended to be very early in 2018, with a focus on bringing fruit into the winery with lower sugar levels and lower pH levels.
Vinification details
Fruit was carefully hand sorted and naturally fermented, whole berry with a percentage of whole bunches added to the fermenters. Post fermentation maceration was allowed for two weeks, followed by gentle pressing. Maturation was for a total of 18 months in French oak, in a selection of old 300 litre and 500 litre casks. The wine was bottled with minimal fining and filtration.
Technical Analysis
From mostly weathered granite soils on estate vineyards, which gives the resultant wines a natural exuberance and youthful vigour.
Tasting note
Spice and mulled red fruit are present on a bright and elegant nose. The wine shows purity of fruit and a lovely depth of aroma. The palate is soft and appealing, yet with enough structure to provide a firm yet silky finish. 100% Grenache.
Vintage conditions
Conditions in 2016 were hot and dry, resulting in a rapid harvest. Care had to be taken to harvest as quickly as possible, in an effort to preserve the grape’s natural acid and freshness. Due to the dry conditions, the crop quality was excellent, although yields were lower than usual, averaging at around 6 tons per hectare.
Vinification details
The grapes were handpicked and selected in the early morning at between 21º and 22º Balling. Fruit was carefully hand sorted and naturally fermented, whole berry with a percentage of whole bunches added to the fermenters. Post fermentation maceration was allowed for two weeks, followed by gentle pressing. Maturation was for a total of 18 months in French oak, in a selection of old 300 litre and 500 litre casks. The wine was bottled with no fining and a minimal filtration.
AWARDS
Tim Atkin MW: 92 pts
