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The first of its kind in South Africa.
The fifth vintage to be released under the entirely new category
"Wine from naturally dried grapes", recently formed
by the Wine and Spirit Board specifically to accommodate this
wine and others to follow.
VINEYARD BLOCKS
1 block ( Keerweder ) 29 year
old vines on a 3 wire trellis on neighbouring cool high altitude
SW slope. Deep red Hutton soil with good moisture retention.
Unirrigated. Yield 4 tons / hectare.
2 blocks ( Post House ) 15 &
17 year old vines on a 4 wire trellis with moveable foliage
wires. Lower slopes of the Helderberg, 8 km from the cooling
influence of the sea. Gravelly Hutton soil. Yield 9 tons /
hectare. Lightly irrigated to releave drought and heat stress.
VINTAGE CONDITIONS
Another ideal vintage for this style of wine. The warm, dry
conditions produced a small crop of excellent quality. These
conditions continued during the drying process producing very
sweet, concentrated grapes.
Harvest date: 8 / 2 / 2001 - 6 / 3 / 2001 @ 22 - 24° balling
PRODUCTION
The grapes were picked at optimum ripeness and laid out on
drying racks in 70% shade for 3 weeks. This allows the grapes
to concentrate sugars, acids and flavours, before reharvesting
in the cool mornings.
Fermented with natural yeasts and matured for 15 months using
mostly new 225 l oak barrels - 50% French and 50 American.
Racked while in barrel to remove heavy sediment and lightly
bentonite fined before bottling unfiltered. Bottling date
: 3 / 6 / 02. Production: 600 cases (6 x 375 ml)
TASTING NOTES
Attractive deep yellow colour. Intense honey, apricot, nuts
and citrus nose.
The palate is sweet and concentrated with just enough acidity
and oak tannins to compliment and deliver a long, lingering
finish.
This wine is a dessert all on its own - a real treat after
the meal. Delicious with biscotti and various nuts. Compliments
slightly tart fruit desserts and good pate's beautifully.
ANALYSIS
Alc.11.7 Sug. 252.0 TA 7.9
pH 3.48 VA 1.56 SO2 26/202
These are naturally made, living wines which may deposit
a sediment - a healthy sign of a handcrafted wine.
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