variety : Pinotage [ 100% Pinotage ]
winemaker : De Wet Viljoen
wine of origin : Stellenbosch
analysis : alc : 14.37 % vol rs : 1.20 g/l pH : 3.72 ta : 6.30 g/l va : 0.72 g/l
type : Red style : Dry wooded
pack : Bottle size : 0 closure : Cork
in the vineyard : Background
The Neethlingshof estate in Stellenbosch, owned equally by Distell and LUSAN, takes its name from its one-time 19th century owner, Marthinus Laurentius Neethling, who served as mayor of Stellenbosch and was also a member of the old Cape Parliament.
Neethlingshof's reserve tier, formerly Lord Neethling, has been renamed The Short Story Collection. Drawing attention to the winery's rich and varied narratives, the three-limited edition wines in the collection each focus on a specific aspect of the estate’s philosophy or history. They are made exclusively from hand-picked grapes.
The Owl Post, a single-vineyard Pinotage, draws attention to the estate's integrated pest management that forms part of the winery's focus on production integrity to reduce its dependence on pesticides. Owl posts have been placed strategically throughout the vineyards.
The vineyards
This wine has been produced from dryland vines established in deep red soils that is rich in organic material and amply feeds the roots. Planted in 1997, the vines are established on north-westerly-facing slopes, 120m above sea level, in soils originating from decomposed granite. The vines are grafted onto nematode and phylloxera-resistant rootstock Richter 110 and are trellised on a five-wire system.
in the cellar : After destalking and crushing the mash was fermented using a selected pure yeast culture NT50. Fermentation took place in rotation tanks at 25 - 28°C over seven days, after which the skins were pressed. Once malolactic fermentation had taken place, the wine was matured in French and American oak barrels for 14 months.