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VINEYARD BLOCKS
Part of our original Mont Fleur block planted in 1983 for
"home consumption" only. The Pinot Noir vines represent
a tiny area of approx. 0.1 ha - 5 wire vertical trellis with
1.35m row width. Vine density 7500 vines/ha. Soil red Hutton
mostly. Clone BK5 on R99 rootstock. No irrigation.
Yield 3 - 4 tons/ha.
VINTAGE CONDITIONS
A fairly difficult vintage with above average rain during
the growing period. The ripening stage was generally cool
with some nail biting scattered rain. It required nerve to
wait for full ripeness before picking. The fruit was picked
in good healthy condition with nice ripe tannins.
Harvest date: 21/2/96 @ 22.8° balling.
PRODUCTION
Handpicking into 20 kg lugboxes.
Destemming and gentle crushing directly into small 2 ton open
top fermentation tanks. Spontaneous natural
yeast fermentation @ max. 33 deg. with the cap of skins
punched down manually 2 - 4 times a day for 11 days. Wine
drained directly to barrels together with single pressing
from traditional basket press.
All our red wine undergo malolactic fermentation in the barrel.
This helps to integrate the new oak component and fix colour
and flavour compounds. 30% new French oak and 15 % new American
oak was used from the high quality 'Francois Freres' and 'Demptos'
cooperages.
Time in barrel 17 months with only a single racking.
This wine was bottled directly from the barrel unfiltered
by hand.
Bottling date :
Production : cases.
TASTING NOTES
ANALYSIS
Alc. 12.79 Sugar 2.1 TA 5.2 VA
0.55 pH 3.37 SO2 37 - 54
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