Steenberg Magna Carta 2011

ageing : All the elements of this wine will enable it to bottle age well.

The blend is made up of Sauvignon Blanc (60%) and barrel-fermented Semillon (40%). The two varieties are harvested and vinified separately according to their unique style before blending. The Sauvignon Blanc portion is made from old vines harvested at sugar levels of 23,5°B. Twenty-four hour skin contact before pressing extracts beautiful mineral and green tones from the Sauvignon Blanc.

The Semillon grapes are left to hang on the vine as long as possible to achieve the full ripeness that gives the wine its distinctive dry apricot and tangerine character. The clean juice is fermented in 500L and 600L French oak barrels (45% New); after the wine was left in barrel for a further 6 weeks with regular batonage – a total of two months in barrel from start of fermentation to blending. The resulting Semillon is rich and fruity with smoky overtones and a creamy palate.

After blending, the wine went back in to barrel, a combination of 500L and 600L barrels used, 41% new, 30% second fill, 29% third; all French oak. The wine spent a further 7 months in barrel before fining and bottling early January 2012 and has been maturing in bottle since.