in the vineyard : The continued success of the Fleur du Cap range of wines is the result of a team approach at The Bergkelder that starts with meticulous vineyard selection and is driven by an overriding passion for winemaking and constant experimentation to create a new generation of superior quality wines. The wines are shaped in perfect harmony with the forces of nature to capture the highly sought-after qualities of varietal character and terroir.
Terroir
Climate, soil, altitude and slope orientation are selected to capture as much varietal character as possible. The climate is mild with south and east facing slopes offering natural protection against late afternoon sun. Cooling breezes from the Atlantic Ocean ensure rich, slow growing crops. The soil is predominately medium textured and well drained with good water holding capacity.
The vineyards (Viticulturist: Bennie Liebenberg)
The majority of the grapes were sourced from selected 6-8 year old vineyards in Stellenbosch, predominantly from the Bottelary Hills but also from the foothills of the Helderberg Mountain. This wine also includes some grapes from the Malmesbury area, a region showing huge promise for making expressive red wines. These vineyards are located at altitudes ranging from 110 to 160m above sea level. The vines are grown in deep red decomposed granite, as well as sandy and gravel soils, ideally suited to the cultivation of Shiraz grapes. The warm and dry conditions resulted in a yield of 5 tons/ha of healthy grapes with smaller berries and a favourable skin-to-juice ratio. Pest and disease control was implemented according to South African subjective IPW standards.
about the harvest: The grapes were harvested, on taste, from the end of February into the first week of March at 24º - 25ºBalling.
in the cellar : In the cellar the juice was fermented at 28ºC for 6 days. After malolactic fermentation, the wine was matured for 14 months in 30% new barrels consisting of a combination of French and American 300-litre barrels, using (80% French and 20% American) and 80% second fill French casks.