Sauvignon Blanc

After gentle pressing and cold settling, the wine is either taken to barrel for natural fermentation or left in tank for sequential inoculation with a combination of different yeasts and then fermented cool until dryness.

The grapes used to make this wine are from a single vineyard: our Sunlight block, situated at 300m above sea-level. This gravelly, wind-exposed block stresses the vine to produce ripe, concentrated flavours in the grape. The vines are not irrigated throughout the ripening season, forcing them to dig their roots deeper in search of water. The block consists of two clones: clone SB09 (gooseberry & passionfruit) & SB108 (greener flavours, steely minerality), that make up the respective fruit & backbone of the wine. Through our sustainable practices of enhancing soil health (e.g. packing the pruning canes under the vines, use of cover crops & introducing microbial life) we are able to farm without herbicides or inorganic fertilisers. This results in healthier vines, fully ripe grapes at lower sugar levels and wines with less residues and lower alcohol levels. Picking decisions at Almenkerk are made by tasting the grapes daily during the harvest season. With Sauvignon blanc, we look for a balance between green & tropical flavours while retaining the natural acidity our cool climate offers us. Harvesting takes place early morning to keep the grape temperature low. All grapes are hand-picked into small lug boxes to prevent compaction. Meticulous sorting is done in the vineyard and again at the cellar. From crushing the grapes, the grape- & juice handling takes place in an inert environment, avoiding any contact with oxygen throughout the entire process through the use of dry ice and specialized equipment such as our Bucher inert press. This preserves the more delicate aromas in the resultant wine. The various vigour-zones are picked & vinified separately. We press our Sauvignon blancs into small tanks and barrels per clone and canopy management, as well as keeping free-run juice and press juice separate.

After fermentation, the wine undergoes lees contact for 9 weeks on the gross lees and another 6 months on the fine lees with regular stirring. 27% of the wine was allowed to ferment wild in barrels. The wine is left as separate components until final blending in October, when the fermentation esters have blown off and the components can be assessed on their long-term (thiol-based) flavor profile.