Blend

Butterfly leg of Karoo lamb on the braai with wild rosemary.

The vineyards for this specific blend were chosen from our best sites, L’Ormarins in Franschhoek and Rooderust in Groenekloof, close to Darling. The L'Ormarins vineyards with the decomposed granite supplied the richness and fullness to the wine. The Rooderust vineyards, which has more clay and a slightly warmer climate, supplied the intense fruit aromas. Together these terroirs produced a unique wine.

Ageing was in 225l French oak barrels 85% new and 15% second fill. All the different vineyard blocks are made and aged separately for 16 months. Then we do a barrel selection to pick the very best that will work for this blend. After the blend was made it was taken back to the same barrels for another 6 months. Bottling after 24 months in barrel was done with gravity, and then the bottles were cellared for extensive bottle ageing before release into the market.

Grapes are picked at optimal ripeness in small 18kg lug boxes, and then transported to the winery in refrigerated trucks. This is to prevent premature crushing and oxidation of the grape juice. At the winery, the grapes are stored in a cold room at 5°C. This brings down the temperature of the grapes to about 10°C that keeps the grapes firm and cool to prevent oxidation and juice loss on the sorting line. The bunches are destemmed and the berries are sorted with an optical sorter that scan berries for colour and size , and only the best goes into tank for fermentation. Fermentation happens in 10-ton French oak fermenters and in 225l French oak barrels. Time on the skins was between 21 and 32 days. Malolactic fermentation happened 100% in 225l French oak barrels.

Anthonij Rupert Wyne is a Franschhoek-based producer with a portfolio that spans some of South Africa's most recognised wine brands, including L'Ormarins and Cape of Good Hope. The range showcases a variety of regions, styles and vineyard sites, from everyday favourites to collector-worthy releases.