in the vineyard : Produced from two vineyard blocks. The oldest, at twenty years of age, is situated in a
small gully at an altitude of 200m. A small natural spring contributes humidity, while the
soil type, Tukulu, is both moisture-retentive and high in mineral content, the latter
contributing elegance to the fruit. The vineyard is planted northwest to southeast,
attracting sun in the morning and afternoon.
A second vineyard, aged 13 years, is planted at the much lower altitude of 60m above
the sea, and as such attracts an abundance of mist from False Bay in the morning. The
soil type is Glen Rosa, and the vineyard faces east to west, resulting in constant sun
exposure towards the top of the canopy.
The average yield is 4 tons per hectare, but noble rot renders this a much smaller harvest
of desiccated fruit.
in the cellar : The grapes are cooled to 5°C overnight, and hand sorted the following morning. A bag press is used to press the grapes and stems, the latter for better traction, and the juice resides for two days on the skins and stems. The bag press is rotated, the juice is inoculated, and fermentation begins.
When fermentation is well under way the juice is pressed again and racked to barrels; these being seven year-old 225 litre French barriques. The barrels are closed for 6-8 months to minimise exposure to oxygen, and turned periodically in lieu of opening, to stir up the lees. The wine is bottled immediately, preserving fruit freshness, elegance and acidity.