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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 ninth year
of production.
VINEYARD BLOCKS
1 block ( Keerweder ) 33 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 ) 19 & 21 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 5 tons
/ hectare. Lightly irrigated to relieve drought stress.
1 block ( Waterkloof ) 22 year old bush vines
on nearby north facing deep red Hutton soil with good moisture
retention. Unirrigated. Yield 8 tons/ha.
VINTAGE CONDITIONS
A trouble free growing season. The rain at the start of the
harvest delayed putting out grapes on the rack, but weather
during the drying period was excellent. This meant we could
get intense concentrated, high quality juice with less wastage
and thus a higher production than usual.
Harvest date: 1 / 2 / 2005 – 17 / 3 / 2005 @ 20 –
23.5° B
Reharvested from racks: 22 / 2 / 2005 – 7 / 4 / 2005
@ 39 - 46° 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 19 months using mostly new 225 l oak barrels – 60%
French and 40% America. Racked while in barrel to remove heavy
sediment and lightly bentonite fined. The VA had to be reduced
by about 20% a few months prior to bottling.
Bottling date: 21 / 11 / 05. Production: 870 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 with nice acidity and
oak tannins to compliment and deliver a long, lingering finish.
Delicious with biscotti, various cheeses and nuts. Compliments
slightly tart fruit desserts and good patés beautifully
(although this usually overwhelms the next course).
ANALYSIS
Alc. 12.5 Sug. 179.8 TA 6.3
pH 3.87 VA 1.53 SO2 30free & 215total
These are naturally made, living wines which may deposit
a sediment and / or tartrate crystals – a healthy sign
of a handcrafted wine. |
