Asara Sauvignon Blanc 2008

This wine perfectly displays the terrain specific qualities of Asara's Sauvignon vineyards. Aromas of zesty bell pepper, asparagus and green apple, follow through to the palate, where you will find young gooseberry and litchi flavours on the aftertaste. It finishes with crisp, rounded freshness. The wine shows at its best once it has been in the bottle for about 12 months; intense freshness gives way to complexity in green flavours and soft fruity notes.

This elegant wine is excellent paired with creamy pasta dishes, for example tagliatelle carbonara ot three cheese gnocci. Seafood dishes such as soft shell crab, freshly steamed crayfish and grilled lemon kingklip.

variety : Sauvignon Blanc [ 100% Sauvignon Blanc ]
winemaker : Jan van Rooyen
wine of origin : Stellenbosch
analysis : alc : 13.8 % vol  rs : 1.9 g/l  pH : 3.51  ta : 6.9 g/l  
type : White  taste : Fruity  
pack : Bottle  closure : Cork  

ageing : The wine shows at its best once it has been in the bottle for about 12 months.

in the vineyard : At Asara Estate, the Sauvignon Blanc vineyards grow on slopes facing False Bay, where cool Atlantic sea breezes and excellent canopy management create a superb basis to grow fine Sauvignon Blanc grapes. By employing a reductive winemaking technique the oxidation of sensitive flavours in the grape juice is prevented (refer to Harvest notes below). For this 2008 Asara Wine Estate Sauvignon we used grapes from two vineyards - the result is a quality wine yielding both tropical fruit and green flavours that are true to the variety.

Viticulture
Age: 12 years old
Clone: RY13 + SB31
Rootstock: MGT 101-14
Trellising: Hedge system
Plant Spacing: 1.2m by 2.6m
Soil Type: Tukulu yellow brown gravel

about the harvest: We harvested the grapes for this wine from 2 vineyards on 2 different slopes on the estate. Hand picking took place on 2 and 13 February, in the early hours of the morning while the ambient temperatures in the vineyards were low.

The first grapes came in from site no B6 at 22 ºB with a total acid of 6.3 g/l and a pH of 3.3, the second batch from site no F13 at 22.8 ºB with an acidity of 6.9 g/l and 3.3 pH.

in the cellar : At the cellar the grapes were sulphited and covered with a blanket of carbon dioxide gas to prevent oxidation of the flavours (reductive method). Mashed grapes were cooled down to below 10º C and given 12 hours of skin contact. The use of these two methods results in optimum flavour extraction and adds structure to our Sauvignon. Fermentation took place over two to three weeks at 12 to 14ºCelsius. Four months of maturation in contact with the yeast lees ensured the development of the desired richness in flavour.

First batch bottled on the Estate on 22 May 2008 after a bulk filtration.

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Sauvignon Blanc
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