AIDAN

Enjoy with a rosemary-crusted roast rack of lamb with root vegetables and a rich, umami gravy

The 2018 vintage will long be remembered for its coolness and low disease pressure. It will also be remembered as the first real vintage to feel the effects of the famous Cape Drought that started in 2015 and worsened towards 2018. Our yields were down by 10%, but with our buffering cool climate conditions, the quality of the vintage was superlative. The 2017 winter leading up to the 2018 vintage arrived later than usual, allowing vines to part with their leaves slightly later – a great thing for the accumulation of reserves. Bud burst started later due to the late, cool, season extending well into September. Shoot growth started off slow, but increased as temperatures soared into November. From December temperatures cooled down quickly and by February nights weren’t quite comfortable without the aid of a jumper. This was great for colour and flavour formation, especially in our red varieties that ripen much later in the season. In addition to that, the bunches and individual berries were much smaller than usual, which is again coupled with increased colour and flavour intensity. The cool, dry weather also allowed for longer hang-time as vineyards were healthy without the occurrence of diseases and pests; allowing for slow ripening and softer, richer tannins. What an absolute pleasure working this vintage.

The bunches were hand harvested at early morning hours and spent the night in a 4 degree Celsius room before being hand sorted to berry level on its way to tank. The batches all fermented in their own, small vessels before being gravity drained and basket pressed to barrel. The wine was inoculated for Malolactic fermentation, and post the secondary fermentation spent a further 18 months in 42% New French oak and 58% 2nd-fill French oak barrels.

A mere 20 minutes from Cape Town City’s center lies Beau Constantia, a well-curated escarp of rolling vineyards, floating concrete, and rocky mountainside. In a shy kloof, steep North East facing slopes summit the Vlakkenberg, from where both the Indian and the Atlantic oceans become visible. From the outset, the unique site called for a masterful eye and design approach that respects its terroir – a wine term that refers to a place’s character.