Lemon-green in colour with a clean nose displaying aromas of green apple, Cape gooseberry, lemon rind and fresh thyme. The palate is light-bodied with a pronounced flavour intensity of fresh Granny Smith and lemongrass, underpinned by a lengthy finish.
The lively acidity of the wine makes it an ideal companion to pan-fried calamari tubes with lemon and herbs, a crab and artichoke salad, or an asparagus, lemon thyme and goats’ milk cheese tart.
variety : Sauvignon Blanc [ 100% Sauvignon Blanc ]
winemaker : Charles Hopkins & Elzette du Preez
wine of origin : Tygerberg
analysis : alc : 13 % vol rs : 1.9 g/l pH : 3.33 ta : 6.0 g/l
type : White style : Dry body : Full taste : Fruity
pack : Bottle size : 750ml closure : Screwcap
in the vineyard : The 2018 vintage was affected by the worst drought conditions ever experienced in the Western Cape. Meticulous irrigation management supplied the precise quantity of water at the correct times to the vines. During such dry conditions diseases are restricted, resulting in the 2018 crop being entirely disease free. Furthermore, it resulted in our winemaking team having to preserve the grapes’ aromatic potential through careful viticultural
practices such as limited thinning, managing nitrogen nourishment, allowing adequate plant vigour, appropriate water supply and careful selection of harvest dates.
in the cellar : The Sauvignon Blanc vineyards are planted in well-drained blue shale at 200 metres above sea level on the Western slope of the Tygerberg, 7 kilometres from, and in sight of, the Atlantic Ocean. Employing the VSP trellis system, a typical harvest produces 7 to 8 tons per hectare. Using analysis, phenolic ripeness and flavour compositions, grapes were handpicked in batches over a three-week period. When crushed, the grapes delivered a recovery of 630 litres per ton. Following 6 hours skin contact, the juice was settled, racked and inoculated to ferment in tank at 14°C for 22 days. 80 days’ lees contact improved the wine’s flavour and body, followed by protein stabilisation, cold stabilisation, blending and bottling.