in the vineyard : Rootstock: Richter 110, 99
Fruit source: from our own Oude Nektar farm in Jonkershoek Valley
Trellis: 5-wire vsp
Irrigation: drip irrigation
Vineyard elevation: 240 & 310m
Slope: South West<
in the cellar : This is a blend from 2 different elevation vineyards on our Jonkershoek Valley farm. The higher elevation vineyard has a finely textured decomposed granite soil and tends to produce a more elegant wine with softer tannin, while the lower vineyard is very rocky and seems to give a denser, more tannic wine. The grapes cooled overnight to 12° C, before being carefully hand-sorted and crushed into small open fermentation vats. The must was cold-soaked for a couple of days before being inoculated with a mix of domestic and imported Rhône yeasts. About 30% of the wine underwent natural fermentation and about 5% was whole-bunch fermented. Regular, vigorous punch-downs were given every 4 hours for the first half of fermentation, then every 8 hours thereafter. At dryness (average 7 - 10 days), it was basket pressed and racked directly to barrel for malo-lactic fermentation and subsequent barrel maturation. A mix of coopers was used, all French oak, all 300 litre, mostly second-fill (about 25% new). After 22 months barrel maturation, the wine was bottled without fining or filtration.