in the vineyard : The sites on which the selected grapes were grown vary from cool, south-facing slopes to warmer, north-west slopes and vary in altitude from the warmer, low-lying plains to the cool, elevated slopes of the Helderberg and Simonsberg mountains. All of the vines are trellised and are grown predominantly in soils of decomposed granite, although some Table Mountain sandstone and shale are to be found on certain of the slopes. The vines are all grafted onto nematode-resistant rootstocks and are pruned and trained in such a manner as to reduce the yield and thus optimize the quality of the fruit from which the wine is crafted.
in the cellar : Grapes were destalked and crushed before separating the juice from the skins. Pure yeast cultures were inoculated into the juice in order to optimize the fermentation process at around 16°C. The fermentation process lasted for 16 days. A combination of French and American oak was used during fermentation to enhance the fullness and character of the variety and to add an extra dimension to the wine’s complexity. After three weeks of extended lees contact following fermentation, the wine was allowed to naturally clarify itself under gravity for approximately three months prior to being blended, filtered and bottled.