Vineyard Blocks

1 block ( Keerweder ) 29 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 4 tons / hectare.

2 blocks ( Post House ) 15 & 17 year old vines on a 4 wire trellis with moveable foliage wires. Lower slopes of the Helderberg, 8 km from the cooling influence of the sea. Gravelly Hutton soil. Yield 9 tons / hectare. Lightly irrigated to releave drought and heat stress.

 

Vintage Conditions

The growing season was generally hot and dry with no disease problems. The fourth hot, dry vintage in a row, but this was thankfully a little cooler and the grapes responded with lots of lovely fruit flavours and balanced ripeness. The grapes were picked in the cool mornings @ 23 - 24 degrees balling.

 Harvest date 8 / 2 / 01 - 6 / 3 / 01

 

Production

Grapes lightly crushed and allowed 3 hours skin contact before gently pressing in a traditional basket press. Sulphur and dry ice added and natural settling allowed for 2 days before

100 % barrel fermentation with natural yeasts.  

 

All the wine kept in 225 l casks for 8 months with lees stirred 1 - 2 times a month initially.

30 % new oak used - mostly American from Demptos, Napa. Partial malolactic fermentation.

 

Bottled unfiltered on the property by hand with only a light bentonite fining.

Bottling date : 30 / 10 / 01.

 

Tasting Notes

An appealing light yellow colour.

The nose shows subtle spicy, vanilla oak with apricot/citrus fruit core and an intiguing mineral,  hay character.

The palate is very full bodied with a mouthwatering thread of acidity that carries the complex fruit and oak flavours to a long aftertaste.

Excellent with rich fish and seafood dishes, subtle red and white meats or on its own.

 

Analysis

ALC. 14.0%           SUGAR  1.9           TA  6.2           pH  3.15            VA  0.51            SO2  36 & 101