The Syrah grapes come exclusively from ELGIN vineyards. Elgin is the Cape's coolest viticultural area and has a unique climate and topography, consisting of an upland basin plateau, surrounded by mountain ranges on all sides. This region shows climatic similarities to Walker bay, only slightly cooler by comparison. Since 2006 vintage, the all the Syrah production comes from a single vineyard runs by ELGIN ORCHARDS Farm. The Terroir is very stony and mixed with red clay.
Yeald:
40hl per ha
Age of the vineyard:
25 years old on average
Winemaking:
The winemaking process detaches itself from industry, and honouring tradition. The grapes are picked by hand at the coolest time of the day, and then the gapes are sorted on two tables. After 4 days of cold maceration, the wild fermentation starts slowly during 2 or 3 weeks. Then the wine goes by gravity to the 900lites barrels.
Aging:
100% matured in 900 litres barrel from Burgundy. This special size helps the wine to develop complexity and Terroir aromas. Because of its shape and the thickness of the staves, the barrel only gives gentle and elegant woody aromas. The wine is aged a minimum of 12months before the bottling.
Tasting notes:
We pursued a single goal: making Syrah with voluptuous fruit that reflect Terroir and Passion. Syrah African Dream detaches itself from the standard of South Africa. Rich and well-balanced, this wine possesses a perfume of mixed spice and a palate of soft blackberry flavours.
Merlot Petit-Verdot 2006
The Terroir :
Blue shale mixed with clay.
Yeald:
30hl perha
Age of the vineyard :
15 years oldd on average
Winemaking:
The winemaking process detaches itself from industry, and honouring tradition. The grapes are picked by hand at the coolest time of the day, and then the gapes are sorted on two tables. After 4 days of cold maceration, the wild fermentation starts slowly during 2 or 3 weeks. Then the wine goes by gravity to the 900lites barrels.
Aging:
100% matured in 900 litres barrel from Burgundy. This special size helps the wine to develop complexity and Terroir aromas. Because of its shape and the thickness of the staves, the barrel only gives gentle and elegant woody aromas. The wine is aged a minimum of 12months before the bottling.
Tasting notes:
Blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Petit Verdot, it is a classically-styled, dark plum/purple-hued effort exhibiting sweet scents of black cherries, plums, truffles, licorice, and herbs. With good acidity, a broad, medium-bodied attack, the wine has an excellent ripeness as well as purity.
The Kaaimansgat vineyard is situated in a small valley at an altitude of 700m above sea level in the mountain ranges north of the town of Villiersdorp . It being one of the higher-lying vineyards in South Africa with a unique mesoclimate in comparison to the surrounding area, Kaaimansgat experiences cooler summers with temperatures ranging between 22 & 28ºC. The winters are cold, in some years receiving snow in the vineyard itself, which is essential to Chardonnay vines in their dormancy. This can be attributed to the high altitude and basin-like shape of the valley. The rainfall per annum is approximately 800mm per year.
Yeald:
40hl per ha
Age of the vineyard :
35 years old (average)
Winemaking:
The winemaking process detaches itself from industry, and honouring tradition. The grapes are picked by hand at the coolest time of the day, and then the gapes are sorted on two tables. After a gentle pneumatic pressing, the juice goes by gravity to the 900lites barrel. The fermentation is very long (1 to 2 months). 100% of the fermentation is made by the wild yeast (the only way to have terroir aromas). Then the wine is aged a minimum of 12months before the bottling.
Aging:
100% matured in 900 litres barrel from Burgundy. This special size helps the wine to develop complexity and terroir aromas. Because of its shape and the thickness of the staves, the barrel only gives gentle and elegant woody aromas.
Tasting Notes:
The Terroir of the Kaaimansgat vineyard is such that we find it distinctive, completely isolated and ideally suited to Chardonnay. The minerality of the wine and characteristically clean citrusy acid is preserved by prevention of malolactic fermentation and serves to enhance the aging potential.
