in the vineyard : The grapes came from vineyards in Stellenbosch, situated at 260 metres above sea level and planted in 1981. The vines are trellised and are situated on south facing slopes.
The rainfall for the winter before the vintage was considerably lower than the long-term figures with almost all the rain falling in June. Spring was later than normal and the rainfall was lower than the annual average. Harvest time was warm and dry.