Durbanville Hills Rhinofields Noble Late Harvest 2017

Colour: Golden straw.
Nose: A delightful combination of honeycomb, dried apricots, pineapple, ripe figs and almonds.
Taste: Full-bodied viscous wine with classic botrytis, citrus and dried fruit flavours. This wine is well-balanced as the acidity compliments the sugar content.

Enjoy on its own, chilled, or served with tropical fruit desserts, crème bruleé or any sweet desserts with high acidity. This wine can also be enjoyed with blue brie, Roquefort and smoked cheeses.

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variety : Sauvignon Blanc [ 100% Sauvignon Blanc ]

winery : Durbanville Hills Wine

winemaker : Martin Moore and Kobus Gerber

wine of origin : Durbanville

analysis : alc : 9.49 % vol rs : 297.5 g/l pH : 3.57 ta : 8.09 g/l

type : White style : Sweet body : 0 taste : 0 wooded

pack : Bottle size : 375ml closure : Cork

Nine leading vineyard owners in the Durbanville district joined forces with Distell to create Durbanville Hills with the aim of promoting the regional individuality of this prime wine-growing area. The striking Durbanville Hills cellar sits proudly atop a series of rolling hills with magnificent views of Table Mountain and Table Bay - the very geography that lies at the heart of what makes the wines so unique. The Durbanville ward is considered one of the Cape’s coolest wine regions, thanks to the sea breezes that drift inland from False Bay and Table Bay and the late afternoon mists that bathe the slopes. These conditions are ideal for the slow ripening of the grapes, allowing them to develop their full flavoured and intense character. Grapes are sourced only from the shareholder growers, all of whom farm within the limited appellation of Durbanville. Meticulous canopy management promotes concentration of varietal flavour and colour.

Cellar master Martin Moore uses highly advanced cellar technology to ensure optimal extraction of colour and flavour.Sustainable practices includes the maintaining of the International Environmental Standard ISO140001, treating of waste water back to irrigation quality and all vineyards subscribing to IPW (Integrated Production of Wine) growing practices, designed to sustain natural resources. Inaddition the farmers protect 320ha of endangered Renosterveld as part of the Biodiversity WineInitiative (BWI).

The Rhinofields range refers to the indigenous Cape fynbos, Renosterveld, growing close to the Durbanville Hills cellar and which is being conserved on member farms.

in the vineyard : The Sauvignon Blanc grapes were sourced from one of the highest Sauvignon Blanc vineyard blocks in the valley, surrounded by indigenous Cape fynbos. This south-facing slope offers a natural protection against late afternoon sun, producing healthy grapes and the gradual ripening of the fruit, resulting in an abundance of flavour. The deep, well drained red soils allowed for good water retention and sustained the vines during the extended ripening period. At the end of the harvest regular cool mist bathed the slopes creating the perfect climate for the making of a noble late harvest while still preserving the varietal character of the grapes. This unique combination of climate, soil, altitude and slope orientation captured the true varietal character for this wine.

about the harvest: The grapes were handpicked at 36° balling with good natural acidity and concentrated fruit.

in the cellar : Only the best bunches were selected with a mix of green and yellow berries with 40% clean raisin and botrytis berries in between. The fruit was sorted at the cellar and fed directly into the press to improve drainage through the stems. The free-run juice was allowed to drain and later returned to the mash for an 18-hour period to increase extraction of the Botrytis character from the raisined berries. The juice was drained after this period and lightly pressed to the fermentation tank. The juice was inoculated after a lengthy rehydration of the yeast to ensure that the yeast was tolerant enough for the higher sugar levels. The must was allowed to ferment between 18°C - 20°C for six days, after which the fermentation was stopped at the desired sugar level. Soon after, the wine was stabilised, filtered and bottled.

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