Project Z Sauvignon Blanc 2020 3x75cl

• 75cl bottle

Unusual intense blackcurrant and fynbos undertones on the nose. Clean and flinty on the initial palate followed by generous texture and mineral length.

Vineyards

The fruit for this wine is from a sea-facing block of Sauvignon blanc in the Faure area. One corner of the block is particularly shale-rich, and it is the grapes from just this corner that was used to create this unique Sauvignon blanc.

Vintage

After four consecutive dry winter seasons (2015-2018) the excellent rainfall in 2019 did manage to offer some relief. The effect of additional water could be seen immediately in the vineyards and we had a particularly good growing season. The crop returned to an almost normal level, and the good growing conditions and vine health set the scene and created expectations for an outstanding harvest. The better rainfall over the winter period compared to the preceding seasons had a very positive influence on the harvest but on the downside we had rather moderate winter temperatures which did lead to some uneven bud-break in the early season, and a much earlier start to the growing season than normal. The moderate winter was fortunately followed by a relative cool spring which allowed the growing pattern to even out a bit even though the growing season remained earlier than normal. Due to the good growing conditions the vines grew a bit more vigorously which meant our viticulture team really had to pay careful attention to the canopy management practices making sure the fruit stays healthy and ensure good even ripening. The harvest itself started early which was expected but it was also a quite compressed harvest that saw several red varieties, especially Cabernet Sauvignon, ripening much earlier than normal. The first part of the harvest was relatively cool and ideal for harvesting the white cultivars at optimal ripeness yet retaining fresh acidity, but the latter half of the growing season was reasonably warm with only a few heat spikes and no major heat waves. This coupled with a few light rainfall events allowed for good even ripening albeit a little earlier than anticipated. We are very happy with the natural balance and healthy acidities we saw in the grapes this year. Once again, our Chenin blanc looks very promising and the red wines show great fruit purity and concentration.

Winemaking

The grapes were picked very early in the morning and whole bunch pressed. Special care was taken to keep the juice and the wine in an environment free from oxygen to preserve the delicate fruit aromas. The juice was transferred to an amphora for fermentation and left on the lees to spend a further six months maturing on the lees in the amphora. The wine was bottled straight from the amphora, unfiltered and not fined.

Enjoy with:

• Grilled and Roasted White Meats
• Fish/Shellfish
• Salads and Picnics
• Mild Creamy Cheeses
• Oriental
• Spicy

Fishcakes with herb & garlic sauce