Mont Fleur Vineyard

The best barrels of Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon were chosen from wines produced from our magnificent vineyard site high up on the eastern slopes of the Helderberg mountain. The soil is a deep red decomposed granite – Hutton type. The vines are close planted (5000 vines / ha.) ensuring that each vine does not produce much more than 1kg.

 

Cabernet Franc 34%

13 yr old vines on 7 wire vertical trellis. Clone CF214 &1D on 101-14 rootstock

Yield 4 tons/ha. (25hℓ/ha)

Merlot 33%

22 yr old vines on 7 wire vertical trellis. Clone MO181 on R99 rootstock

Yield 3 tons/ha. (18hℓ/ha)

Cabernet Sauvignon 33%

22 yr old vines on 7 wire vertical trellis. Mix of 6 clones on 101-14 rootstock

Yield 3 tons/ha. (18hℓ/ha)

 

VINTAGE CONDITIONS

 

A difficult and challenging vintage. Winter started late, but we had enough cold to ensure good budbreak in spring. We had below average winter rain, but a good normal spring. An early hot summer with several heatwaves throughout the season meant lower growth and a smaller crop with small berries. The little bit of supplementary water we could apply (sooner than ever before) went a long way to help keep quality high. Harvest was our earliest ever, starting more than a week earlier than normal. The hot weather and particularly warm evenings meant acidity was low and we had to pick earlier than usual. Thankfully cooler weather arrived in the middle of the February to the relief and benefit of our later, mostly red varieties.

 

Harvest date: 15/02/2016 – 1/03/2016 @ 22.5-23.8 Balling.

 

PRODUCTION

 

Handpicked, 100% destemmed and gently crushed directly into open top fermenters. Spontaneous natural yeast fermentation @ max. temp. 30°C. Time on skins around 14 days, with cap of skins punched down (pigeage) 1 – 4 times a day. Wine drained directly to barrels together with single pressing from traditional basket press.

Malolactic fermentation in the barrel. 100% new 225L French oak used for the first year before being blended and matured in a second fill 700L barrel for a further 9 months.

Bottled by hand, unfined and unfiltered, on the property.

Bottling date: 17/10/17

Total Production: 84 x 6 bottle (750mℓ) cases & 10 x 3 magnums.

 

TASTING NOTES

 

 Pending

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ANALYSIS

 

Alc. 13,45%      Sugar 1.5g/l      TA 5,4g/l     pH 3,58   VA 0,63g/l   SO2 free19 ppm total 64ppm