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. The climate is mild with south and east facing slopes offering natural protection against late afternoon sun. Cooling breezes from the Atlantic Ocean ensure rich, slow ripening crops. The soil is predominantly deep red and well drained with good water holding capacity.
The vineyards (Viticulturist: Bennie Liebenberg)
The Semillon grapes were sourced from vineyards in the Stellenbosch region. All the vines were grafted onto phylloxera-resitant rootstocks and the 5-wire hedge system was used for trellising while supplementary irrigation was given at the varaison. Pest and disease control was implemented according to South African subjective IPW standards.
in the cellar : In the cellar the grapes had no skin contact and were fermented in small oak barrels – 30% in new French oak, 10% in new American oak and 60% of the fermentation took place in third-fill barrels. Bâtonnage took place every second week and the wine was left to mature, in wood, for 6 months.