in the vineyard : Made from superior grapes meticulously selected from prized vineyard blocks in the Cape Coastal region, Fleur du Cap Unfiltered wines are shaped in perfect harmony with nature. Handpicked in the vineyard and handcrafted in the cellar, these new generation wines capture the highly sought-after qualities of varietal character and terroir. Sedimentation, racking and fining as opposed to filtration maximise the preservation of colour and flavour elements resulting in wines that abound with fruit and flavour.
Terroir
Climate, soil, altitude and slope orientation are selected to capture as much varietal character as possible. Climate is mild with south-and east-facing slopes offering natural protection against late-afternoon sun. Cooling breezes from both the Atlantic and Indian Oceans ensure rich, slow-growing crops. Soils are predominantly medium textured and well-drained with good water holding capacity.
The vineyards (Viticulturist: Bennie Liebenberg)
The grapes were selected from two vineyards in the Helderberg area and one vineyard in the Bottelary Hills region. The vines received a supplementary irrigation at the varaison. Pest and disease control was implemented according to South African subjective IPW standards.
in the cellar : In the cellar the grapes were gently pressed and the juice was allowed to settle overnight. It was racked directly into new French (80%) and American oak (20%) and was inoculated with a yeast culture. Fermentation took place at 23° C for 7-10 days. The lees were stirred every two weeks during the nine months the wine spent in the barrel. The wine had 30% malolactic fermentation while the remaining 70% did not undergo malolactic fermentation.