The 2007 Vintage

2007 was a warm and dry year. Fortunately the Semillon in this blend was harvested just before the heat-wave in mid February.

In the Vineyard

Our two blocks of Semillon, planted in 1997 and 1998, have both got some alluvial soil with sand and clay.
Two clones; GD 1 on R 99 and GD 121 on Ramsey rootstocks. Both blocks have a 5 wire vertical trellis system with moveable foliage wires to manage the canopy and ensure good aeration. Canopy management is vital to ensure healthy grapes from these blocks. No irrigation used and regular sampling to insure that grapes are harvested at optimum ripeness.
Green harvesting at 80% veraison in 2 batches, the 5th and 21st of February 2007 at 20.5 and 22.5º Balling respectively. Early morning harvesting to ensure cool grapes in cellar and minimum oxidation. Handpicked into 20 kg lug boxes. Yield; 5 tons per ha.
The Chardonnay for this blend was sourced from Piekenierskloof and harvested the 29h of January at 24.8º Balling.

In the Cellar

Gentle crushing into mash pump and mash pumped to press. Semi reductive winemaking and skin contact for about 4 hours.
After a gentle pressing, free juice and press juice was pumped to selected settling tanks. Fermentation in barrels with several different yeast strains used. Fermentation temperature never exceeded 15ºC. Sur lie and batonage for nine months. 20% new French oak were used, total time in barrel was 18 months with no racking. Matured to the music of W.A. Mozart.
Final blend; Semillon 85% and Chardonnay 15%. Unfiltered. Wine bottled by hand the 20th of August 2007.

Tasting Notes

A full-bodied and complex dry white wine with a rich honey and elderberry blossom nose followed by honey and peach on the palate. Enjoy well chilled.

Analysis

Alc; 13.2% RS; 3.3g/l VA; 0.42g/l pH; 3.29 TA: 6.4g/l

 

OUR FOCUS ON HEALTH
All our wines are laboratory tested before release from the cellar.
Our wines do not contain any pesticide residues. Any content of heavy metals
like Copper, Iron, Potassium, Calcium, Manganese, Zink, Nickel, Chromium
and Lead is below the threshold of safe levels.