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The first of its kind in South Africa.
It seems like just yesterday we encouraged the Wine and Spirit
Board to form this entirely new category “Wine from
naturally dried grapes" but this is now our eighth year
of production.
VINEYARD BLOCKS
1 block ( Keerweder ) 32 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 3 tons / hectare.
2 blocks ( Post House ) 18 &
20 year old vines on a 6 wire trellis with moveable foliage
wires. Lower slopes of the Helderberg, 8 km from the cooling
influence of the sea. Gravelly Hutton / Estcourt soils. Yield
6 tons / hectare. Lightly irrigated to relieve drought stress.
VINTAGE CONDITIONS
The warm, dry conditions produced a small crop of excellent
quality. These conditions continued during the drying process,
but due to the late season with shorter days and pending autumn
rains the grapes didn’t attain the usual incredible
sweetness and concentration.
Harvest date: 11 / 2 / 2004 – 19 / 3 / 2004 @ 20 –
23.5° B
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 18 months using
mostly new 225 l oak barrels – 60% French and 40% American
– for the first year and older for the second year.
Racked while in barrel to remove heavy sediment and lightly
bentonite fined before bottling unfiltered. Bottling date:
9 / 11 / 05. Production: 560 cases (6 x 375 ml)
TASTING NOTES
Attractive yellow gold colour. Complex marzipan, burnt honey
and dusty dried apricot nose.
The palate is sweet and concentrated (though less than usual)
with nice acidity and oak tannins to compliment and deliver
a long, lingering finish.
This rather more food friendly than the last few vintages.
Delicious with biscotti, various cheeses and nuts. Compliments
slightly tart fruit desserts and good patés beautifully.
ANALYSIS
Alc.16.3 Sug. 111 TA 7.5 pH
3.9 VA 1.39 SO2 18 & 150
These are naturally made, living wines which may deposit
a sediment and / or tartrate crystals – a healthy sign
of a handcrafted wine. |
