variety : Semillon [ 100% Semillon ]
winemaker : Mark van Buuren
wine of origin : Citrusdal Mountain
analysis : alc : 13.50 % vol rs : 3.0 g/l pH : 3.26 ta : 6.2 g/l va : 0.24 g/l so2 : 128 mg/l fso2 : 45 mg/l
type : White style : Dry body : Full taste : Mineral wooded
pack : Bottle size : 750ml closure : Cork
in the vineyard : Average Temperature: 19.1˚C
Rainfall: 398mm per annum
Henk Laing’s farm, Trekpoort, is situated on a stretch of land between Lamberts Bay and Clanwilliam, on the Skurfberg Mountain overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Laing has a deep understanding of this land, the vines, the weather, the animals and fynbos, – having walked these soils during harvest with his father, decades ago. The metre-tall bush vines have survived around 50 years of heat, red sand and a paucity of water and still generate grapes that produce intense, weighty wines with character in spades. The vines, planted in 1956, are planted in red sand on clay, between wheat fields, apricot trees, rooibos tea bushes and fynbos. Its proximity to the ocean, the hot days with cool nights and the age of the bush vines all contribute to ripeness and naturally high acidity. The 2015 season will go down as one of the earliest and best vintages in decades. Warm weather in August resulted in earlier bud break, after which a warm, dry and windy summer kept vineyard growth under control and accelerated ripening by approximately two weeks. Yields were slightly lower, and the smaller berries produced wines of exceptional flavour, balance and concentration.
in the cellar : The grapes were taken into the cellar and cooled to below 14 degrees Celsius. Bunches were hand-sorted and whole-bunch pressed. Fermentation took place in stainless steel tanks. After fermentation the Semillon was aged in very old 600ℓ French oak barrels. The wine spent 6 months on the lees before being blended and bottled in September.