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.
This wine was made from vineyards of three different locations. Two of these vineyards are from the inner-valley, situated at the valley floor on duplex soils and on a middle northerly slope on deep shale soils. The third vineyard is situated in the outer-valley, located at the base of a northerly slope, on a medium deep shale soil. The composite of these different mesoclimatic and soil influences are evident in the complexity of the wine. The vineyards are between 7 and 13 years old and produce between 7-9 tons/ hectare. All the vines are grafted on Phylloxera resistant rootstocks and trellised to a vertical shoot positioning system.