Colour: Pale straw with a gree-yellow tint.
Bouquet: Herbaceous flavours typical of a cool climate, such as green peppers and fig leaves are backed by tropical granadilla and litchi.
Taste: The palate is light and dry and shows lively smooth, ripe melon fruit and a whole basket of tropical flavours. Good racy acidity adds zest and excitement.
Enjoy the wine while it’s still young and vibrant with fresh seafood such as cob, sole, calamari, oysters and mussels or with fresh salads. Also delicious served with olives, creamy vegetarian pasta dishes and fried chicken. Serve chilled at around 10° to 12°C.
variety : Sauvignon Blanc [ 100% Sauvignon Blanc ]
winemaker : Estelle Lourens
wine of origin : Stellenbosch
analysis : alc : 14.10 % vol rs : 1.70 g/l pH : 3.38 ta : 6.50 g/l
type : White style : Dry taste : Fruity
pack : Bottle closure : Cork
in the vineyard : Background
Uitkyk Estate, situated on the south-western slopes of the Simonsberg, was established in 1712. The estate’s neo-classical manor house, completed in 1788, is thought to be the work of the French architect Louis Michel Thibault, who was active at the Cape at the end of the 18th century. The estate is jointly owned by Distell and LUSAN.
Vineyards
Uitkyk Estate is 600ha in size with 140ha under vines. An interesting variety of cultivars are planted on the estate: Chardonnay, Sémillon, Chenin blanc, Viognier, Pinot Grigio, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Shiraz, Pinotage, Sangiovese, Mourvédre, Petit Verdot and Pinot Noir. All the vineyards are planted in deep red, decomposed granite soil.
The grapes for this wine came from two different vineyard blocks on the estate with the young vines contributing the fresh fruit notes and the older vines the body and structure of the wine.
The vines are well-established, planted between 1985 and 1989, and for maximum complexity situated on different slopes and at various altitudes ranging from 350m to 500m above sea level. One of the blocks is grown under dryland conditions while the other was given supplementary irrigation in January 2011.
All the vines are grafted on nematode-resistant Richter 99 and 110 rootstocks and pruned to optimise yield and quality.
Viticulturist: Dr Eben Archer
in the cellar : Exceptionally healthy grapes were hand-harvested in February and 6 to 20 hours of skin contact was allowed. Pure yeast cultures were used. Fermentation in stainless steel tanks at 11° to 13°C took place for a period of 15 to 24 days. The wine spent two months on the less before final bottling.