Nitida Sauvignon Blanc Club Select 2013

Clearly from a distinguished lineage. Sweet-pea, microgreens, Granny Smith, artichoke nettle, nasturtium, guava and pine nuts all snuggle.

Adds sparkle to oysters or sashimi.

variety : Sauvignon Blanc [ 100% Sauvignon Blanc ]

winery : Nitida

winemaker : RJ Botha

wine of origin : Durbanville

analysis : alc : 13.5 % vol rs : 6.5 g/l pH : 3.23 ta : 6.5 g/l

type : White style : Dry taste : Fragrant

pack : Bottle size : 0 closure : Cork

AWARDS

2012 Platter 4 stars, Veritas Gold (Club); 92 points Tim Atkin MW(Club); 2011 Top 100 SA Wine (Club), Veritas Silver (Club), Top 10 Bartho Eksteen International Celebration; Michelangelo Silver, Platter 4 stars; 2010 Michelangelo Silver, 4 stars Wine magazine; 2009 Michelangelo Double Gold (club select) and Gold (standard range) AND BEST PRODUCER ON SHOW, Bartho Eksteen Top 10 SA, Wine Magazine Top 10 (4½ stars); 2008 Michelangelo silver, Veritas gold; 2007 Michelangelo silver, Top 10 wine Bartho Eksteen International Sauvignon Blanc Celebration, Wine Magazine Top 10, Veritas gold; 2005 Michelangelo gold; 2004 Bartho Eksteen - joint 3rd, Veritas silver(’04) (gold ‘05), Platter 4½ stars; 2003 SAA 1st class listing, Fairbairn silver, Veritas gold; 2002 Veritas double gold, Club 500 cultivar winner, International Wine Challenge - silver; 2001 SAA listing; International wine challenge - bronze, best in Wine mag. cultivar tasting (only 4 star wine), Winning wine Bartho Eksteen International; 2000 SAA 1st class listing, Veritas silver medal; 1999 Veritas gold medal, Bartho Eksteen International shootout 6th, Wine magazine - top 7 wines; 1998 Veritas silver medal; 1997 Michelangelo International - silver medal, Veritas silver medal; SAA Long-haul listing; 1996 Veritas silver medal; 1995 Veritas double gold medal.

ageing : 8 years of cellaring will turn this stunner into connoisseur heaven.

Winemaker's Comments
Intermittent rainfall helped limit water stress and ensure optimal ripening. Our grapes are sourced from various sites across Durbanville so as to best express our unique Durbanville terroir.

In order to retain Sauvignon’s highly volatile flavours we adopt a reductive approach to winemaking limiting the wine’s exposure to oxygen through the use of CO2, in the form of dry ice, from crushing to bottling. For optimal flavour extraction the grapes are left on their skins for 12hrs prior pressing, this also having the advantage of balancing Sauvignon’s crisp acidity.

We worked extensively with co-inoculations of yeast, namely Vin7 and QA23, so as to optimise fruit and terroir expression. In addition to this we have also worked with an amino acid, glutathione, which is able to act as an antioxidant, thus preserving the wine’s unique attributes and also limiting our use of sulphur dioxide.

The Club select is made as usual from a small selected batch specially blended for its fuller purist capsicum character. We are careful to only use very small batches for these special bottlings so as not to devalue the flavours of our main standard range.

in the vineyard : We welcomed the long, wet winter of 2012 as it allowed for even budding while also replenishing much needed soil water reserves after a dry 2011 winter. The strong south westerly winds during November took their toll on the flowering vineyards resulting a thinning of the crop by up to 50%, yet despite this loss we have benefited from greater flavour concentration and fruit expression.

Intermittent rainfall helped limit water stress and ensure optimal ripening. Our grapes are sourced from various sites across Durbanville so as to best express our unique Durbanville terroir.

about the harvest: The Sauvignon Blanc harvest started on the 5 February with even ripening extending until the mid-March, and to record has been one the longest and possibly most successful vintages yet.
Yield: Average 6-8 t/ha

in the cellar : Wood: 30% is wooded in French oak first fill for 3 months

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OTHER VINTAGES

Nitida Sauvignon Blanc Club Select 2013

Sauvignon Blanc

RJ Botha