Ernie Els Sauvignon Blanc 2018

The 2018 is very light in colour and body, but shows fine concentration from the dry 2018 vintage. Spellbinding notes of passion fruit and fig excite the nose, while hints of orange blossom and minerals give complexity. It is richly textured and dry, with a nicely balanced tropical fruit core and citrus edge. Gentle notes of crème de cassis give extra depth to a serious, yet generous palate. It is linear in style, with a spine of fresh acidity that carries layers of long-lasting fruit.

variety : Sauvignon Blanc [ 100% Sauvignon Blanc ]

winery : Ernie Els Wines

winemaker : Louis Strydom

wine of origin : Western Cape

analysis : alc : 12.67 % vol rs : 1.3 g/l pH : 3.30 ta : 6.7 g/l

type : White style : Dry body : Full taste : Fruity

pack : Bottle size : 750ml closure : Screwcap

in the vineyard : The 2018 harvest season will be remembered as the drought season. At Ernie Els Wines we are very blessed to have bountiful water on the Helderberg. We were however still careful with our water use during the summer months leading up to harvest. We’ve also been working hard to adapt our viticultural techniques during the past 3 years to help the vineyards cope optimally with the heat and limited irrigation. The drought was further buffer by a surprisingly, and fancifully cooler season. Due to the somewhat buffered circumstances the vines reacted gracefully to the drought with no abnormal growth patters observed. Vine canopies were kept nice and thin for sunlight and of course less leaves means less water
needed. Vineyards are resilient plants and its natural instinct in drier years are to produce smaller bunches with smaller berries. Small berries are usually the start of a great wine and 2018 was no different. The white wines from the 2018 vintage appear to have a great vintage specific concentration.

ABOUT THE VINEYARD
The Sauvignon Blanc grapes were harvested from individually selected, low yielding vines from two appellations namely Durbanville and Stellenbosch. Each viticultural area and terroir lends its own unique flavour profile to the final blend.

about the harvest: The grapes were hand-picked in the cool of early morning. February, 2018. 22.0° Brix average sugar at harvest

in the cellar : On the sorting table, all excess stalks and inferior berries were carefully removed. Grape bunches were gently de-stemmed with a de-stalker and lightly crushed. The wine was settled overnight and the sediment racked-off the following day. Fermentation took place at low temperatures
(12-14°C) in stainless steel tanks with a combination of yeasts, over a two week period. Working very reductively in the cellar after both crushing and de-stemming, post fermentation lees contact was maintained for two months before racking and stabilization prior to bottling. This wine is crafted in a fresh style without any oak component.

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