Vineyard Blocks

1st block 9 year old vines on 7 wire vertical trellis.  Mix of clones on 101-14 rootstock.  Mont Fleur vineyard. – high altitude mountain slope.  Soil deep red Hutton.  Yield 6 tons / hect. 

2nd block 6 year old vines on 5 wire vertical trellis.  Clone 20C on 101.14 rootstock.  Neighbouring east facing Keermont vineyard.  Soil deep red Hutton.  Yield 7 tons / hect.

3rd block 15 year old vines on 4 wire vertical trellis.  Clone CS 46A on 101-14 rootstock.  Soil gravelly red Hutton type.  On low lying Helderberg mountain site.  Yield 3 tons / hect.

4th block 5 yr old vines on 5 wire vertical trellis mix of clones on 101-14 rootstock. Soil a raised alluvial stone terrace a few kilometers down the Blaauwklip valley. Yield 7 tons/hect.

6% Merlot and 2% Roobernet incl.

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Vintage Blocks

The growing and ripening period was near perfect. A light irrigation at veraison ensured the grapes got through the late warm, dry summer without too much stress. The wines have intense fruit, excellent structure and great maturation potential.

Harvest date:  26 / 2 / 03 – 14 / 3 / 03 @ 23.5 – 26.3° balling.

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Production

100% destemming and crushing by hand directly into 2 ton open top fermentation tanks. Spontaneous natural yeast fermentation @ 30ºC with the cap of skins punched down 2 – 5 times a day for 8 to 16 days. Wine drained directly to barrels together with single pressing from traditional basket press. All wine undergoes malolactic fermentation in the barrel. 35% new French oak and 5% new American oak was used from high quality coopers. Time in barrels 22 months, which included several rackings to gradually clarify the wine and assist maturation. This wine was bottled unfiltered by hand on the property.

Bottling date : 27 January 2005

Production : 970 cases.

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Tasting Notes

Deep, dark, brooding red colour.

Cassis, ripe mulberries and tobacco and cedar nose. 

Intense fruit flavours and firm persistent tannins follow through to a long dry finish.

Probably best between 2008 – 2018.

Enjoy with classic meat dishes.

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Analysis

Alc.  14.65%              SG.1.5             TA  5.7             pH  3.76             VA  0.57             SO2  28 & 83