A full bodied wine with upfront gooseberry, granadilla, fig and tropical aromas. The wine is clean, fresh and crisp with hints of minerality, perfume and herbaceous notes. This well balanced wine ends with a crisp, refreshing finish.
Serve chilled. It can be enjoyed on its own, or as a partner to flavourful chicken and fish dishes and main meal salads.
variety : Sauvignon Blanc [ 100% Sauvignon Blanc ]
winemaker : The Winemaking Team
wine of origin : Western Cape
analysis : alc : 13.49 % vol rs : 2.39 g/l pH : 3.35 ta : 6.29 g/l
type : White style : Dry body : Full taste : Fruity
pack : Bottle closure : Cork
in the vineyard : Vineyards
South Africa's vineyards are mostly situated in the Western Cape near the coast. This is the southernmost region of the African continent, and has a Mediterranean type climate and diverse soils perfectly suited to quality grape production. 45% Stellenbosch, 40% Elgin, 15% Lutzville.
Vintage conditions
The 2010 harvest will be remembered for its erratic weather changes, which posed several challenges to winemakers and viticulturists alike. A cold, but late 2009 winter preceded the growing season, providing much needed rest to the vineyards. Budding was earlier than expected, which resulted in an early start to the 2010 harvest. Above average rainfall was recorded during the growing season, resulting in increased disease pressure and lower vineyard yields. Up until the end of February, the harvest season was characterised by mild weather which created favourable conditions for slow ripening and the development of berry flavours. Grape quality in general was very good, promising a range of excellent wines from the 2010 vintage.
in the cellar : Winemaking
From the intake of grapes the whole winemaking process was reductive to retain maximum flavour. Crushing was slow and gentle to cool down mash as much as possible and to prevent oxidation of juice. 7 hour skin contact was allowed, until total acidity reached a desired level. The grapes were pressed and cold settled for 48 hours, followed by careful racking to fermentation tank. Fermentation of the first 3% alcohol was done at 16° - 18° to promote thiole (gooseberry, pineapple, guava flavours) conversion in wine. Further fermentation was done at 12° - 13° to preserve fermentation fruit flavours. The wine spent 50 days on fermentation lees, stirred up once a week to enhance the mouth feel. It was then racked, filtered and stabilised for bottling.
Maturation: None
Total Production: 28 000 Bottles
Bottling Date: September 2010