Hill&Dale Sauvignon Blanc 2011

Colour: The sparkling clarity of this wine, with delicate green tinges at the edges, provides the initial enticement into trying it.
Bouquet: Fresh nuances of green apple, gooseberry and herbs add to the vibrant appeal of the wine.
Taste: Lively, youthful and fresh, with hints of asparagus, guava and litchi on the palate make this a wonderful example of a great Stellenbosch Sauvignon.

Perfectly enjoyable on its own, but for a perfect match, pair it with green, leafy salads, asparagus with Hollandaise sauce or lighter seafood dishes.

variety : Sauvignon Blanc [ 100% Sauvignon Blanc ]

winery : Hill and Dale

winemaker : Guy Webber & Samantha de Morney-Hughes

wine of origin : Stellenbosch

analysis : alc : 13.49 % vol rs : 2.80 g/l pH : 3.48 ta : 5.70 g/l so2 : 132 mg/l

type : White taste : Fruity

pack : Bottle closure : Screwcap

ageing : While crisp and delicate in its youth, more complex and subtle characters can be expected with further cellaring up to an age of around three years.

in the vineyard : Background
Stellenzicht's Hill&Dale label offers a range of accessibly styled wines with a New World character for international appeal, created by award-winning winemaker Guy Webber. Despite their being made for early and easy enjoyment, Webber has eschewed a generic format for these wines, instead choosing to clearly express their origins.

Grapes for the Hill&Dale wines are selected from vineyards within the Stellenbosch region. Extensive vineyard management programmes are in place for each of the vineyards from which the fruit is selected. All aspects of the process are strictly governed so as to comply with not only the standards set for the Integrated Production of Wine (IPW) system, but also with the quality standards set for HACCP and the BRC (British Retail Consortium).

The name for the range was derived from Stellenzicht's Hill&Dale farm, located just outside the town of Stellenbosch. The leaf logo on the label depicts an oak tree leaf, synonymous with the historic university town.

Vineyards (viticulturist: Eben Archer)
The grapes were mainly sourced from trellised vineyards located some 100m to 200m above sea level on the cool Stellenbosch slopes, either south-facing or where maritime breezes helped to reduce temperatures during the final stages of ripening. The vines grow in soils originating mainly from decomposed granite and Table Mountain sandstone.

about the harvest: The grapes were harvested by hand at between 22° and 24° Balling.

in the cellar : The grapes from each vineyard were individually vinified. After destalking and crushing, the juice was separated immediately from the skins to avoid excessive tannin extraction. Pure yeast cultures were used for fermentation in stainless steel tanks at around 14°C for 20 days. Fermentation lasted 20 days.

There was no extended lees contact after fermentation and the wine was allowed to clarify naturally under gravity for two months before blending.

A total of 21 128 cases (12 x 750ml) was produced with the first bottling taking place on 7 June 2011.

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