Le Bonheur Sauvignon Blanc 2002

Colour: Pale lemon-yellow with a distinctive green tint.
Bouquet: The nose has a notable green pepper character, with slightly pungent, grass and fig-leaf notes. Also, though hiding a bit, are delicate pear-drop aromas.
Taste: There is a very pleasing balance of forces here, nothing too aggressive, and plenty of classic sauvignon fruit to carry the alcohol to a satisfying finish.

Delicious as a lunchtime wine. Well suited for fish, either grilled, poached or baked, cheese soufflÃ©s, and fried chicken. Delightful on its own. Serve at 10 - 12ÂºC.

variety : Sauvignon Blanc [ Sauvignon Blanc ]

winery : Le Bonheur Estate

winemaker : Sakkie Kotzé

wine of origin : Stellenbosch

analysis : alc : 12.85 % vol rs : 1.5 g/l pH : 3.26 ta : 7.1 g/l va : 0.61 g/l

type : White style : Dry

pack : Bottle closure : Cork

in the vineyard : The grapes came from vineyard blocks which face both north-south and east-west, and which are situated at 220 to 350 metres above sea level. The vines are all grafted onto nematode-resistant Richter 110 rootstock, grown in decomposed granite and lime soils with clay subsoils, and trellised using a three- as well as a five-wire fence system. Two of the sauvignon vineyard blocks are older vines planted in 1977, while the third dates back to 1996 and has now settled in well. It was a wet summer in which the Western Cape received more rain than in years. The overhead-sprinkler system at Le Bonheur has only been used in the short, specially warm periods when the vines started to show signs of stress.

about the harvest: The winemaker, Sakkie KotzÃ©, and his viticulturist, Louis Tshambu and his team picked by hand in the early morning on 11, 12 and 13 February at an average Balling of 22.8 degrees, when the grapes showed full, ripe, sauvignon-fruit flavours. The yield was a low 7.5 tonnes per hectare.

in the cellar : When the grapes reached the cellar, they were hand-sorted and crushed. The mash was immediately cooled down. No skin contact has been allowed. Cold fermentation, at 12 â€“ 14ÂºC in stainless-steel tanks followed, which were completed within 14 days. For prolonged maceration, the wine was left on its lees for three months to maximise its flavour potential. This is a 100% Sauvignon Blanc, bottled at the beginning of June 2002 after fining with Bentonite and gelatine.

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