in the vineyard : Meticulous care went into the making of JC le Roux 1989 – Care which began in the vineyards. These vineyards are in the Stellenbosch area, and range from 0,6 to 8,23 ha in extent. The trellised vines were planted in deep red, yellow clay and soils with a high lime content. The vineyards are from 140- 220m above sea level and were planted at densities of 333 and 3704 vines per ha. The average day and night temperature for the period December 1988 – February 1989 were 25,8ºC and 16,8°C respectively. The mean day/night temperature for the same period was 19,8°C. The rainfall for April – March was 600mm.
in the cellar : The juice settled overnight at 10°C and the clear juice were racked the next morning and inoculated with Prisse de Mousse yeast. The wine was cold fermented at 15°C. The base wine underwent malolactic fermentation. The wine was then bottled and secondary fermentation took place at the cool controlled climate of the maturation cellar. The cold temperature ensures a slow secondary fermentation which ensure the formation of tiny bubbles. The wines were left on the lees for a period of 145 months. The sediment was removed by the traditional method of remuage and degorgement. The bottles were then corked and wired and matured for a further period before being released.