Southern Slopes

Black pepper and poppy seed crusted venison loin.

As a result of the drought that occurred before, the South African vintage of 2019 reached an all-time low. This vintage is expected to produce wines of high quality, despite the fact that the crop was smaller than usual. When the berries are smaller, it is possible to achieve a good concentration of flavour as well as a balance between the acidity and sugar levels. All of these factors contribute to the quality that is expected for the 2019 vintage. This wine was made with grapes from our Riebeeksrivier farm in the Swartland, which is located on the Malmesbury side of the Riebeek Kasteel Mountain. Our vineyards are located on the southern and western slopes of the mountain.This wine comes from the southern slopes, where the soil is richer in clay and mixed with Malmesbury shale.The combination of slope and soil results in this deeper and richer style red blend.

The wine spent 16 to 18 months in 4th and 5th fill French oak barrels and stainless steel tanks.

All of the blocks and components of the Cape of Good Hope Southern Slopes blend are hand-picked and handled separately. Components are fermented in a combination of stainless steel tanks and Italian cement tanks (Nico Velo tanks) after being sorted by an optical sorting machine. These various fermentation vessels add dimension to the wine and emphasise the distinct characteristics of each block.

This is a range created in recognition of the Cape of Good Hope’s vinous heritage which stretches back more than 350 years when the first Governor of the Cape planted grapes. These unique wines are the result of irreplaceable parcels of old vines and site specific terroirs. The labels reflect the grape variety as well as the origin and singular characters behind them.