variety : Sauvignon Blanc [ 84% Sauvignon Blanc, 16% Semillon ]
winemaker : _
wine of origin : Walker Bay & Elgin
analysis : alc : 13.88 % vol rs : 1.9 g/l pH : 3.41 ta : 7.2 g/l
type : White style : Very Dry
pack : Bottle closure : Cork
in the vineyard : Background
This blend has been in our minds for quite a few years and made its first appearance as a limited release wine in 2005 called 'Pour mes Amis'. Predominantly sourced from a single vineyard and grown in quartz and sandstone soils, we were searching for another possible site on Newton Johnson in the Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley (the other long since sold) that could rival the expression and individuality of the 2005 wine. We only found one site on the property where we found it suitable to plant Sauvignon. These are usually found quite high on the slopes where the bedrock has eroded by gravitational force to form these types of soils. We also decided to farm this parcel organically with an eye on full conversion in the future. Texture has always been of prime importance in our whites and natural fermented Semillon in new oak provided us with a component that accentuated the complexity of the blend. Our intention is to produce a wine that is very pure, finely textured, not overtly oaky, and has the drinkability that Sauvignon delivers.
Location and Climate
The Hemel-en-Aarde Valley ranges in its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean from 2 to 8 km. Its climate is more 'temperate' in style, where parallel mountain ranges channel the southerly maritime winds through the appellation during the summer. These winds in turn bring regular sea mists and overcast conditions to the valley and with it more even temperatures. The average mean temperature is 19.8ºC and rainfall per year is approximately 750mm.
Appellation
84% Upper Hemel en Aarde Valley
16% Elgin
Soils
Sandstone and coarse fragments of quartz.
Aspect
West - Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley
None - Elgin
Trellising System
5-wire Vertical Shoot Positioning (VSP) with movable wires
Pruning
Cordon
Age of Vines
7 years
Vines per hectare
3,333
Average Yield
4 - 8 tons/Ha (28-56 hl/Ha)
Growing Season and Harvesting
Some late winter spells of warm weather induced earlier budding with some of the early varieties, including Sauvignon Blanc. Although abundant water and disease-free conditions were conducive to good growth during the Spring, the vineyards were plagued with intense South East winds that halted growth in the canopy and caused much damage. December saw much of the canopy restored and much work was needed on it in order to balance the ripening. The summer saw some dry, hot spells that revealed some 'stress spots' in certain vineyards with fast draining soils. These parcels were harvested separately for quality appraisal at blending stage. All in all, the flavours from this vintage are aromatic, bright, and ripe that should drink well at an early stage.
in the cellar : The morning's harvest is cooled down overnight to 8ºC in the winery's grape refrigeration room. The grape bunches are sorted on a conveyor, destemmed and crushed in to a tank where, after a couple of hours, the juice is allowed to drain in to a settling tank. All transfers of grape must are attained with the use of gravity, pumps are totally avoided, except where the juice is pressed off the skins and until final blending of the wine before bottling. We believe the mechanical action of a pump may damage the structure and adversely affect the flavours of the wine. The juice is then left to settle clear for 72 hours at 2ºC. This clear juice is 'racked' over in to another stainless steel tank where a 16 to 20 day fermentation is induced, maintained at a temperature of about 12ºC, until the wine is dry. 20% of the blend includes Semillon that has been fermented by natural yeasts and matured for 3 months in new Burgundy oak barriques (228 litre barrels) oak. Bâtonnage (lees stirring) is fortnightly applied to the wine during maturation.
Bottled: January 2011