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VINEYARD BLOCKS
1st block 8 year old vines on 6 wire vertical trellis. Mix
of “new clones” on 101-14 rootstock. Mont Fleur
vineyard. – high altitude mountain slope. Soil deep
red Hutton. Yield 3 tons / hect.
2nd block 14 year old vines on 4 wire vertical trellis. Clone
CS 46A on 101-14 rootstock. Soil gravelly red Hutton type.
On low lying Helderberg mountain site. Yield
2 tons / hect.
3rd block 5 year old vines on 5 wire vertical trellis. Clone
20C on 101.14 rootstock. Neighbouring east facing Keermont
vineyard. Soil deep red Hutton. Yield 5
tons / hect.
8% Roobernet and 6% Merlot incl.
VINTAGE CONDITIONS
No irrigation necessary. The growing season was particularly
difficult, with early season mildew problems. A lot of rain
fell at the time of veraison which did not adversely affect
the crop. The grapes ripened in good weather producing soft
well balanced wines, though not quite as concentrated as usual.
Harvest date: 26 / 2 / 02 – 13 / 3 / 02 @ 23.3 –
25.7° balling.
PRODUCTION
100% destemming and crushing by hand directly into 2 ton open
top fermentation tanks. Spontaneous natural
yeast fermentation @ 30ºC with the cap of skins
punched down 2 – 5 times a day for 10 to 14 days. Wine
drained directly to barrels together with single pressing
from traditional basket press. All wine undergoes malolactic
fermentation in the barrel. 35% new
French oak and 5% new American oak was used from high
quality coopers. Time in barrels 22
months, which included several rackings to gradually
clarify the wine and assist maturation. This wine was bottled
unfiltered by hand on the property.
Bottling date : 6 January 2004
Production : 610 cases.
TASTING NOTES
Deep, dark, brooding red colour.
Concentrated blackberry / mulberry and slightly earthy, cedar
nose.
Intense fruit flavours and rich, silky textured palate which
follows through to a long, quite dry finish. Probably best
between 2006 – 2012.
Enjoy with rich meat dishes.
ANALYSIS
Alc. 14.65% SG.1.5 TA 5.6
pH 3.72 VA 0.52 SO2 43 & 52
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