in the cellar : This versatile French grape, longtime stalwart of Sancérre, but made famous by New Zealand, is yet another compatible grape to all different terroirs. Sauvignon Blanc is planted in smaller vineyards on Zandvliet with the younger vines also relocated to the higher lime-rich slopes. This early variety is harvested from the end of January to middle February during the hottest part of summer.
Cellaring
Only harvested by machine at night, the gathering-in process is totally reductive, meaning to the exclusion of oxygen, so that all the flavour components are preserved in the best possible way. Skin contact is done at the coldest possible temperatures for 6 – 12 hrs. Fermentation is at 12°C and all the processes are as reductive as possible through to bottling.