Cellar Selection Sauvignon Blanc 2023 6x75cl

Intense aromas of tropical fruit with granadilla and white peach. Zesty and flinty on the palate with the ever present herbaceous character from Sauvignon Blanc. Enjoy the wine now with any summer dish or be rewarded after 5 years of cellaring.

Vineyards

The grapes were sourced primarily from Stellenbosch, however, also sourced from Darling, Durbanville, Sondagskloof and Lutzville. The common denominator was that all vineyards are found within 15km from the ocean and thus the cooling sea breezes and deep red soils resulted in moderate growth which in turn provided a good canopy development for optimal grape ripening conditions.

Vintage

The 2023 vintage will be remembered as a vintage in which human foresight and experience played a crucial role. "Truly a viticulturist's vintage," says RJ Botha. "With two heavy spells of rain in March two weeks apart and with the heavy bunches of Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon nearing their picking dates, the winemaking and viticulture teams had to make decisive calls to ensure blocks were harvested without being affected by the rain, but at levels of adequate ripeness. Fortunately, we got it right, getting the red grapes in before the deluges that came down in the week of 20 March and with desired sugar-levels. "The white grapes were on average two week earlier than last year, and as we got going mention was being made of a fantastic harvest all round," says RJ. "Chenin Blanc from our vineyards in Stellenbosch's Firgrove region was of fantastic quality as a result of these dryland bush-vines having received a welcoming splash of water with those December rains – especially as the preceding winter was warm and dry, and the vines really needed a top-up. Kleine Zalze's Sauvignon Blanc grapes from vineyards in Stellenbosch, Darling and Durbanville were harvested three weeks earlier than average. The mild vineyard conditions ensured firm, riveting acids, and another very good Sauvignon Blanc year. “Cabernet Sauvignon quality is incredible with deep, vivid colours and brilliant complexity in the young wines. "says Botha “Shiraz is very forgiving in vintages like this, and one will probably see more delectable spice and pepper notes on the Shiraz due to the earlier ripening and picking that was demanded by the inclement weather. Our relationship with and understanding of the vines allowed us to make the right calls during a challenging wine grape harvest where the human hand played almost as big a role as nature's commanding presence. "All this makes the quality of the young new wine we are seeing in the cellar doubly rewarding." says RJ.

Winemaking

All the vineyard parcels were harvested at optimum ripeness and vinified separately. The grapes were only picked in the early morning to ensure they arrived at the cellar in optimum condition and all efforts were made to limit their exposure to oxygen. All the grapes were given 12 to 36 hours extended skin contact before only the free-run juice was transferred to tank for fermentation. The wines were fermented at low temperatures with selected yeast strains to highlight each vineyard’s specific characteristic. After fermentation the wine was left for a further four months in contact with the lees before putting the final blend together.

Enjoy with:

• Grilled and Roasted White Meats
• Fish/Shellfish
• Salads and Picnics

Enjoy this wine now with any summer dish