DE TRAFFORD RED WINE
A hallmark of De Trafford Wines is the effort spent in growing ripe vines to produce properly ripe fruit.
Picked at optimum ripeness with maximum potential intensity and complexity, never overripe, despite the frequently high sugars. The grapes are carefully handpicked and transported to the winery in small lugboxes. Fermentation with indigenous yeasts takes place in various small tanks and includes a pre-fermentation and post-fermentation phase with regular punching down of the cap. The wine is transferred from the fermentation tanks directly to small French oak barrels for malolactic fermentation while still ‘dirty’, to better integrate flavours. The wines remain in barrels (30 – 50 % new) with gentle, carefully timed rackings in a cool damp underground cellar for approx. 18 – 22 months – depending on the vintage. This is an active period of stabilization, flavour development and phenolic polymerization (softening) rather than a passive period of oak flavour extraction. The natural development of the wine is allowed with minimum handling and no filtration prior to bottling on the property.
DE TRAFFORD WHITE WINE
The noble Chenin Blanc grapes are allowed to ripen to their full potential and picked only in the cool early morning (before 9.00am). The grapes are lightly pressed in a traditional basket press after a few hours skin contact and fermented with indigenous yeasts in small oak casks. The wine is matured for a further 6 months in casks before bottling on the property with only a light fining and no filtration.
DE TRAFFORD STRAW WINE
The first of its kind in South Africa! Chenin Blanc grapes are laid out to dry on racks (or straw) under the shade of the oak trees. This gentle raisining process concentrates the sugar, acidity and fruit flavours to produce a luscious, sweet dessert wine. Fermented and matured in mostly new French oak barrels.
