Asara Noble Late Harvest 2003

Name: Asara Noble Late Harvest 2003
Brand: Asara
SKU: 5863

Brilliantly concentrated liquid gold made from botrytis blessed Chenin grapes. A honeyed bouquet, layered with ripe pineapples, sun dried peach and apricot aromas. It is a concentrated, yet elegant wine with good fruit acidity for long ageing.

variety : Sauvignon Blanc [ 100% Sauvignon Blanc ]

winery : Asara Wine Estate and Hotel

winemaker : Jan van Rooyen

wine of origin : Stellenbosch

analysis : alc : 11.5 % vol rs : 108.6 g/l pH : 3.23 ta : 7.7 g/l

type : Dessert style : Sticky body : Full

pack : Bottle closure : Cork

AWARDS

International Wine & Spirit Competition - Silver
Silver Medal - Michelangelo Awards 2006
Gold Medal - Concours Mondial de Bruxelles 2006
Bronze - Fairbairn Capital Trophy Wine Show 2005
Bronze - International Wine and Spirit Competition (IWSC) 2005
John Platter 2005 - 4 Stars
Silver Medal - London International Wine and Spirit Competition 2004
Bronze - Veritas Awards 2003
Silver Medal - Michelangelo Awards 2005
Bronze - Veritas Awards 2005

ageing : Drink until the end of 2010.

in the vineyard : This vintage brought the noble botrytis to our Chenin Blanc grapes at the top of the Estate. The altitude is ca. 230 meters above sea level. Cool ocean breezes from False Bay gives the ideal environment for growing Chenin at this site.

Age of vines: 16 years old
Clone: KWV
Rootstock: Richter 99
Soil type: Glenrosa
Trellising: Extended Double Perold
Plant spacing: 1.2m x 2.6m

about the harvest: We harvested over four days, 28 and 29 March as well as 3 and 4 April, from vines that are 16 years old.

in the cellar : Each picking was kept overnight for skin contact and extraction of flavours. The juice was then combined and cold fermented for two weeks. Halfway through, the fermentation was arrested in order to achieve the right balance of flavour and structure. This was done by chilling the wine to almost zero degrees.

As a result, the style of the wine is more European than South African in the respect that it is not so very sticky sweet, but well balanced. There will be development of new and interesting flavours over 'time in the bottle'. Good fruit acidity will give a maturation potential of up to 10 years if cellared correctly.

The wine was bottled on the estate on 7 July 2003.
The production was 14,500 x 375 ml bottles.

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