in the vineyard : Soil type: Malmesbury shale’s
Root stock: Richter 110
Type of climate: Moderate sunny days with cool nights and sea breezes from both Atlantic and Indian Ocean in the afternoon.
Winemaking and Vineyard Management
The SAAM Mountain wines are fine examples of wines made from vineyards grown under un-irrigated conditions. As is the case when using small berries, these wines show a voluptuous bouquet and a rich after taste, leaving you with much food for thought. Maturation occurs in stainless steel tanks for the white wines, whilst the reds enjoy influences of French oak.
Every vine and vineyard block have a different micro climate due to the soil, gradient & location, in other words, terroir. This creates variation in grape character, which follows through to the final product.
Our two soil types are:
Granite – which is a lighter soil type and our early season cultivars like Chenin Blanc are cultivated on this type of soil. Granite gives a character of minerality to the grapes/wines.
Shale – this is a more condensed soil type with the major component being clay. Clay has good water retention and is most suitable for late season cultivars, being the red cultivars.
The shale soils have high levels of salinity enhancing the flavour profiles of our wines.
Our vineyards are mostly planted on Malmesbury shales and decomposed granite soils.