Colour: Lovely pink-rose colour.
Bouquet: Abundance of berry fruit, strawberries, cranberry and cherries with notes of peach.
Taste: Fresh and fruity with strawberry and peach flavours and a crisp finish.
Enjoy with a range of foods from pizza and pasta to seafood, poultry and cream based dishes and cheeses.
in the vineyard : Background
The first settlers at the Cape to arrive from Europe came from the Netherlands in 1652 under the auspices of the Dutch East India Company. As farmers began moving away from the more settled areas of Cape Town and Stellenbosch during the 18th and 19th centuries, local courts were established in newer towns to maintain links with the chief governing authorities. The district of Tulbagh, about 120kms from Cape Town, was established in 1804.
The home (drostdy) and seat of local government for Tulbagh was designed in the Cape Dutch style by renowned architect, Louis-Michel Thibault and completed in 1806. Regarded as one of his finest works, the magistrate/governor’s residence also served as the courthouse (hof) from 1806 to 1822. Today, De Oude Drostdy, as the building is known, houses a small and very popular museum with very fine examples of Cape Dutch furniture. It is also the home of Drostdy-Hof wines.
The vineyards: Viticulturist: Bennie Liebenberg
Grapes were sourced from bush vines and low-trellised vineyards in Stellenbosch and the Swartland wine regions located at altitudes varying from 50m to 180m. Some of the vineyards are grown in dry-land conditions while others receive supplementary irrigation.
about the harvest: Made from Cabernet Sauvignon, the grapes were harvested between 20° and 21° Balling during February and March. Picking took place early in the morning to keep the grapes cool and preserve their flavours.
in the cellar : The grapes were crushed into de-juicers. The length of skin contact time was carefully monitored to create a pleasing rosé colour. The free-run juice was drained by gravity and clarified. The clear juice was inoculated with a selected yeast culture to enhance the varietal character and fermented in stainless steel tanks at 14°C. After fermentation the wine was cold settled and stabilised, filtered and bottled.