in the vineyard : Origin of the Grapes
Between 1958 and 1962, Professor Chris Orffer, of the University of Stellenbosch, created a new variety by crossing Sermillon and Cape Riesling (also known as Crouchen Blanc). In 1997, the first commercial vineyard of this variety in the world, was planted on the farm Klipvlei, near Perdeberg, where the Geldenhuys brothers now grow 1.2 hectares on Swartland soil type. This soil consists of well-drained shale with some clay underneath. It is well-earated and has a good water-retention capacity.
Viticulture
The vineyard receives the bare minimum of water and the irrigation system merely serves as an "insurance policy". Vines are trellised on a 7-wire Extended Perold system with movable wires, and are carefully spur-pruned and manipulated by specialised canopy management techniques for optimal use of sunlight. To ensure even ripening, grapes are thinned out and green branches are removed at 80% veraison.
about the harvest: This variety is a very early ripener and each vintage normally starts with the harvesting of Nouvelle. To retain optimum flavour grapes are handpicked in the early morning, when it is cool, and crushed within an hour of being picked.
in the cellar : Nouvelle was harvested on cool mornings and dry-ice was added to keep it cold before being destemmed, crushed and given skin contact in static drainers for 16 hours at 10° C. Only free-run juice was used to make this wine. Juice was fermented by a specially chosen yeast at 8° C - 12° C in stainless steel tanks. Nouvelle is vinified reductively, which means that there in no contact with air.