in the vineyard : Seven leading vineyard owners in the Durbanville Hills district joined together to create Durbanville Hills together with Distell to promote the regional individuality of this prime wine growing area, punctuated by hills. In close proximity to the cold Atlantic Ocean, it boasts a temperate climate with Atlantic sea breezes cooling the vines during the summer months. Grapes for this brand, which has already attracted widespread positive attention both in South Africa and abroad, are sourced only from these growers, all of whom fall under the limited appellation of Durbanville. All member vineyards subscribe to IPW (Integrated Production of Wine) growing practices, designed to sustain natural resources. Meticulous crop control applied to these vineyards further limits yields and promotes concentration of varietal flavour, encouraging a process of natural selection. Winemaker Martin Moore uses highly advanced cellar technology to ensure optimal extraction of colour and flavour.
The wine is named for the Caapmans, a loosely knit group of herder tribes the early settlers encountered grazing their cattle along the Cape’s West Coast and inland, around the hills of
Durbanville. This wine is made from a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (64%) and Merlot (36%).
The Cabernet Sauvignon grapes for this wine were sourced from a north-east facing, low-yield vineyard (6 to 9 tons per hectare), established in 1990 and planted in deep, dark red soils at around 250 metres above sea-level. The Merlot was picked from two north-east facing vineyards on the valley floor, located about 200 metres above sea level and planted in deep red soils. The vineyards were established in 1991.
in the cellar : The grapes from each vineyard were vinified separately. After one day of cold soaking, the must was fermented on the skins for eight days at 29°C until dry and left on the skins for two weeks to allow for extended maceration to soften the texture of the wine. The fermenting juice was mixed with the skins every two hours to impart an intensity of colour and flavour. Fermentation took place in stainless steel Disio tanks from Italy. Maximum fruit, colour and tannin extraction from the skins was made possible through continuous computerregulated pump-over cycles and automatic temperature regulation. The fermenting juice was kept in closed, oxygen-poor tanks, while the skins remained fully immersed during the entire fermentation and maceration period.
After malolactic fermentation, 90% of the wine from each varietal was matured separately for
24 months in tight-grained new French oak, and blended before bottling where after it was
matured in the bottle for a further six months.