Our 2016 Magna Carta strongly reflects the Steenberg terroir and the warmer, drier growing season by displaying aromas and concentrated flavours of white blossom, lemongrass, melon, grapefruit, candied lime and white stone fruit.
The focus continues onto the palate where one finds an elegantly structured wine that shows the spiciness from the oak and richness tempered by the zesty acidity that forms the wine’s backbone.
variety : Sauvignon Blanc [ 60% Sauvignon Blanc, 40% Semillon ]
winemaker : JD Pretorius
wine of origin : Constantia
analysis : alc : 13.25 % vol rs : 4.0 g/l pH : 3.35 ta : 5.2 g/l
type : White style : Dry taste : Fruity wooded
pack : Bottle size : 750ml closure : Cork
about the harvest: The two varieties are harvested separately according to their unique style before blending.
The Sauvignon Blanc portion is made from old vines harvested during the early morning at 23.5° B sugar levels
The Semillon grapes are left to hang on the vine as long as possible to achieve full ripeness.
Harvest date: January/February 2016
Yield: 6ton/ha
in the cellar : The clean juice is fermented in 500l and 600l French oak barrels. 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, through malolactic fermentation, to blending.
After blending, the wine went back into barrel, a combination of 500l and 600l French oak barrels used, 30% new, 30% 2nd fill, 20% 3rd fill, 20% 4th fill. The wine spent a further 7 months, for a total of 9 months, in barrel before fining and bottling at the end of November 2016 and has been maturing in bottle ever since.