Vinification

The five varietals were hand harvested from trellised vineyards rooted in Hutton and Glenrosa soils. The vineyards are north and north-west-facing, positioned along the slopes of the Helderberg Mountain at altitudes ranging from 100 to 500 metres above sea level. These sites benefit from cooling afternoon maritime breezes during the ripening period, promoting gradual flavour development and balanced acidity. At the time of harvest, the vines were between 7 and 19 years old, producing an average yield of 6.5 tonnes per hectare.

Viticulture

The 5 grape varieties used to make up this blend ripen at different times and were harvested at 24° to 25° Balling. Each component was vinified separately and fermented on the skins for 7 – 12 days at 25° to 27°C in closed stainless-steel fermenters. Regular pump-overs were conducted to ensure effective colour and tannin extraction. Following malolactic fermentation the wines were matured for 14-18 months in a combination of first, second and third-fill barriques compromising 90% French and 10% American oak, The final blend was assembled after maturation to achieve the desired structure and complexity.

Analysis

Food pairing