Spier Frans K Smit White 2023
Beautiful notes of elderflower, blackcurrant and sage are supported by subtle grapefruit and white oak spiciness. The palate shows great balance, with fruit density, freshness and a touch of oakderived richness. The vibrant aftertaste is supported with beautiful balance between acidity and powdery oak tannin – leaving a hint of creaminess and oyster-shell minerality. This wine will develop more depth with ageing.
Appearance: Pale lemon with a pale green rim.
Serve with grilled dill and sesame crusted tuna with pickled onions and creamy dill sauce, or a courgette and roasted almond risotto.
variety : Sauvignon Blanc [ 58% Sauvignon Blanc, 42% Sémillon ]
winemaker : Frans K. Smit
wine of origin : Cape Town
analysis : alc : 13.1 % vol rs : 2.1 g/l pH : 3.29 ta : 6.3 g/l
type : White
pack : Bottle size : 750ml closure : Cork
ageing : 4–6 years after harvest
Frans Smit was Spier’s prodigious Cellar Master for 27 formative years. In honour of his remarkable influence and ongoing legacy, the Frans K. Smit wines represent the highest echelon of our winemaking craft. Produced in extremely limited quantities, the coveted blends are complex, nuanced and enjoyed around the world. After passing the Cellar Master baton to his successor Johan Jordaan in 2021, Frans and Johan continue to collaborate creatively on this wine in the vineyard and cellar.
in the vineyard : This blend of grapes is grown on the cool south-southwest facing slopes of the Tygerberg ward of Durbanville. Dryland cultivation ensures the vines strive their hardest for water. In so doing, they absorb superb minerality and distinctive berry flavours from deep, rich soil strata – Oakleaf/Clovelly. The crafting hinges on constant tending in the vineyard. Canopy management is done by removing some of the leaves early in the season to let the sunlight in, to break down pyrazines for a richer, more complex fruit profile. These grew back during the course of the summer, providing cooling during the hottest period. We pick selectively, choosing riper bunches identified by colour. Both vineyards are close to the cold Atlantic Ocean and the afternoon summer breezes allow the grapes to hang longer on the vine, resulting in slow, intense flavour development.
about the harvest: We picked selectively, in stages, in the cool of pre-dawn.
in the cellar : The grapes, packed in small 8 kg lugs, went directly to the winery, where they were chilled further before destemming, hand sorting and crushing. This vintage of Sauvignon Blanc was allowed up to 12 hours of skin contact in a refrigerated drainer above the press, extracting the best of the skin flavours at icy temperatures under highly controlled conditions. To prevent oxidation, the grapes and mash were covered with dry ice. Most of the juice was transferred to barrel for fermentation. In the Sémillon batch, there was no extended skin contact – the free-run juice went straight into barrels for fermentation.
After initial fermentation in barrel, the wine was kept on the fine lees for the development of the palate and to add depth of character. The total maturation period of 12 months added to the complexity and richness of this wine.
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OTHER VINTAGES
Sauvignon Blanc
Frans K. Smit
Sauvignon Blanc
Frans K. Smit