Vineyard Blocks

1 block ( Keerweder ) 31 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 5 tons / hectare.

2 blocks ( Post House ) 17 & 19 year old vines on a 7 wire trellis with moveable foliage wires. Lower slopes of the Helderberg, 8 km from the cooling influence of the sea. Gravelly Hutton and Escourt soil. Yield 9 tons / hectare. Lightly irrigated just after veraison.

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Vintage Condition

The cool wet winter got the growing season off to an excellent start with even budding and the rest of the season was relatively trouble-free.  The cool, dry weather leading up to the harvest meant the grapes developed concentrated, complex flavours that may take a while to develop in the bottle.  Clearly one of the best harvests ever. 

The grapes were picked in the cool mornings @ 22 - 24º Balling.

Harvest dates: 4 / 2 / 03 - 19 / 3 / 03

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

20% new oak used – half French, half American. Most barrels did not go through malolactic fermentation.

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

Bottling date : 17 / 11 / 03.

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Tasting Notes

An appealing pale yellow colour.

The nose shows subtle nutty, creamy oak with a complex mineral, damp hay character.

The palate is rich and full bodied with a mouthwatering thread of acidity that carries the complex fruit and oak flavours to a long aftertaste. Probably best between 2004 and 2009.

Excellent with sushi, rich fish and seafood dishes, most white meats or on its own.

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Analysis

ALC. 13.98%           SUGAR  2.2          TA  6.4           pH  3.36           VA  0.60           SO2  30 & 107