Vineyard Blocks

1st block 14 year old vines on 7 wire vertical trellis. Mix of 6 different clones on 101-14 rootstock. Mont Fleur vineyard. – high altitude mountain slope. Soil deep red Hutton decomposed granite.
Yield 3 tons / ha. (18hℓ/ha)
2nd block 11 year old vines on 5 wire vertical trellis. Clone CS20C on 101.14 rootstock. Neighbouring east facing Keermont vineyard. Soil deep red Hutton decomposed granite.
Yield 4.5 tons / ha. (32hℓ/ha)
3rd block 20 year old vines on 4 wire vertical trellis. Clone CS46A on 101-14 rootstock. Soil shallow gravelly red Hutton decomposed granite. On low lying Helderberg mountain site.
Yield 3 tons / ha. (18hℓ/ha)
4th block 5 year old vines on 7 wire vertical trellis. Clone CS169 on 101-14 rootstock. Neighbouring north facing Keermont vineyard. Soil deep red Hutton decomposed granite. Yield 2 ton/ha (12hℓ/ha)
5% Merlot and 7% Petit Verdot incl.

These yields equate to less than 1kg of fruit per vine, arguably the threshold for the production of GREAT wine!

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Vintage Conditions

Typical cold, wet winter followed by a normal growing season with enough rain and warm weather to produce good, balanced growth.  As in 2007 we had knife-edge harvest conditions with small heat waves alternating with short, wet, cold spells. Overall a little wetter and warmer over the harvest period than 2007. It seemed to bring out a spiciness and elegance similar to 2007, just a little softer and less intense. A little more fruit forward with an underlying leafiness.
Harvest date: 7 / 3 / 08 - 27 / 3 / 08 @ 23.5 – 25.6° B.

 

Production

100% destemming and crushing by hand directly into 2 ton open top fermentation tanks. Spontaneous natural yeast fermentation @ 31ºC with the cap of skins punched down 2 – 4 times a day for 15 days. Wine drained directly to barrels together with single pressing from traditional basket press. All our wine undergoes malolactic fermentation in the barrel. 40% new French oak was used from high quality coopers. Time in barrels 23 months with several rackings to gradually clarify the wine and assist maturation. This wine was bottled unfiltered by hand on the property.
Bottling date: 26 / 02 / 10
Production: 970 x 12 x 750mℓ;

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Tasting Notes

Medium deep, dark red colour. Red & blue berry nose with attractive cedary, spicy oak and fruit aromas. Softly tannic palate hiding a lot of fine fruit that opens up in the glass. Softer, more elegant and finer than most vintages, a little less intensity and long term ageability. Drink 2012 to 2020. Delicious with most meat dishes, especially roast lamb.

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Analysis

Alc. 15.07%           SG. 1.7           TA 5.6             pH 3.92            VA 0.65            SO2 21free 63total