Description
Vineyard:
The Walker Bay vineyards of the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge are within proximity to the Atlantic Ocean. This maritime climate is more “temperate” in style with the parallel mountain ranges channelling southerly sea breezes through the appellation in summer. These winds bring regular sea mists, overcast conditions, and more even temperatures to the valley. The average temperature is 19°C and the area receives approximately 750mm of rain a year. All grapes were harvested by hand in cool early morning temperatures and left in a cold-room overnight before processing the next day. This specific vineyard is planted with clones 115 and 777, with the blend consisting mostly of 115. We used one of the farm’s highest-altitude, fruit-bearing Pinot blocks, which allows for slow ripening, building a wine with texture without the pressure of fast sugar accumulation.
Winemaking:
Each clone was destemmed into stainless steel fermenters whilst 10% remained as whole clusters. Spontaneous fermentation occurred after a cold soak period of three days. Fermentation lasted around 10 days, during which the must was lightly pumped over the grape skins twice a day. Post-ferment, a further 4-5 days were allowed before the wine was pressed off to barrel for maturation. It spent 10 months in a combination second-fill and third-fill barrels. Thereafter, the wine was removed from barrel and blended in a stainless-steel tank. The wine remained there for two months to homogenise after which it was filtered and bottled.
