The soils’ limestone and clay components help the vines to develop strong citrus flavours with a pronounced nuttiness on the mid-palate which leads through to a clean finish with zesty citrus notes. The wine matures beautifully, the years adding dimension and complexity.
Enjoy with leg of lamb, grilled or barbecued meat such as lamb chops and sausages, as well as seafood and grilled fish.
variety : Chardonnay [ 100% Chardonnay ]
winemaker : Danie de Wet
wine of origin : Robertson
analysis : alc : 13.76 % vol rs : 2.0 g/l pH : 3.32 ta : 6.5 g/l
type : White style : Dry body : Medium taste : Fragrant wooded
pack : Bottle size : 750ml closure : Cork
in the vineyard : Climate
The Robertson Valley is characterised by cold winters and sunny summers, with an average annual rainfall of 350 - 400mm. In summer a fresh southerly breeze has a cooling effect on the vineyards, allowing the grapes to ripen evenly and in perfect balance. The dry climate and the bracing breeze keep pests to a minimum, resulting in sparse spraying programmes.
Irrigation
Controlled computerised irrigation systems including the monitoring of soil moisture content ensure the vines are given exactly the right amount of water at the right time to produce grapes of optimum ripeness and developed flavours.
Soils
Rocky, gravelly mountain soils rich in limestone with a significant amount of clay to assist in the water-retention capacity helps the vines to develop fruit with strong citrus flavours and a characteristic nuttiness on the mid-palate and finish.
Vineyard information
Age of the vines: 15 - 25 years
Vines per hectare: 4000 and 4500
Rootstock: Richter 99 and Richter 110
Planting row: 2,4m x 1m and 1,83m x 1,2m
Soil: pH 7,5 -8,3
Trellising style: 6 Wire fence system cordon with spur pruning.
Yield: 6-8 tons per hectare
Barrel maturation: 8-10 months
about the harvest: The grapes are picked in the coolness of morning, and the emphasis is on capturing the beautiful rich complexities, nutty flavours and pronounced citrus finish which consistently characterise the wines produced from these vineyards.
in the cellar : Once de-stemming, pressing and overnight settling have been completed, the juice is racked off from the sediment and moved into French oak barrels specially selected by Monsieur Christian Radoux. For this wine we use first fill barrels as well as second and third fill barrels. The selected French oak enhances the nutty and citrus fruit flavours emanating from the vineyard’s rich calcareous soil and high concentration of rock and clay, with the wood also unleashing a plush elegance into the wine.
After barrel-fermentation, the wine remains on the lees under controlled temperatures. Weekly stirring (batonnage) of the lees ensures maximum flavours are released into the wine. A few months later the wines are racked off the lees and returned to the barrels for the completion of barrel-maturation, with bottling commencing once the wine meets exacting quality requirements of the winemaking team.