variety : Sauvignon Blanc [ 97.5% Sauvignon Blanc, 2.5% Semillon ]
winemaker : Randolph Christians
wine of origin : Stellenbosch
analysis : alc : 13.84 % vol rs : 2.8 g/l pH : 3.31 ta : 6.00 g/l
type : White style : Dry
pack : Bottle closure : Screwcap
in the vineyard : Situation: Stellenbosch, Elgin
Wine of Origin: Western Cape
Altitude: 180m - 450m
Distance from sea: 7 - 30km
Soil type: Decomposed Granite (Tukulu/ Hutton) & Shale
Root stock: R99, R110, 101-14 Mgt
Age of vines: 5 - 25 years
Trellising: Vertically shoot-positioned
Pruning: Spur pruned
Irrigation: Drip-irrigated
Vintage Comment
Overall, 2011 was a harvest that brought a smile to a weary viticulturist's face!
Although we had a dry winter, there was plenty of water available when required in the hot summer months, allowing the vineyards to mature naturally without undue stress. The vineyards exhibited perfect canopies, permitting optimum light penetration for the ripening of bunches and the development of good colour. The berries came in at lovely low sugars due to cool conditions at harvest, boasting fantastic colour and exceptional quality.
in the cellar : Grapes were reductively crushed and pressed with no additional skin contact to minimize phenol content. Free-run juice and the best of gently pressed juice were cold settled for 24 - 48 hours. The clear juice was then racked and inoculated with different yeast strains for different terroir parcels, and fermeneted at 11 - 15°C. After 2 - 3 months maturation on lees, the different components were blended, stabilized and bottled at the end of July 2010.
Yeast used: Zymaflore (X5, VL3) & Anchor (Vin7)
Bottled: end September 2011