Noble Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc

This is a naturally fermented and unfortified wine, and allows for many delightful treats, which may include savoury duck liver pate, creamy puddings such as clafoutis, and traditional soft cheeses. Serve chilled and don’t wait for dessert.

The season presented a cold winter with good rainfall that ensured a terrific growing and ripening period during spring and summer. Due to a few small heat spikes and rain showers in January, the vines were exposed to stop-and-start conditions. This complicated determining the accurate stage of ripeness which required viticultural expertise, experience, and patience. The 2020 crop size was average. An identified Sauvignon Blanc vineyard block, yielding approximately 10 tons of grapes, enjoyed a longer hanging time to become naturally infected with Botrytis Cinerea. With Botrytis infection, known as “noble rot”, the fungus causes moisture evaporation, leaving a higher concentration of solids such as sugars, fruit acids and minerals. This results in a more intense, concentrated final product.

Once the grapes were harvested, 8 weeks later than Sauvignon Blanc for our dry wine, it weighed only 4 tons. The juice was fermented to 11% alcohol and the wine was left with a high residual sugar content. The 2020 vintage of Noble Late Harvest grapes delivered a mere 380 litres per ton, approximately half the volume compared to regular Sauvignon Blanc grapes, resulting in a limited produced and highly sought-after wine.

De Grendel is a Durbanville wine estate where cool-climate vineyards and careful site selection shape a broad range of South African wines. Known for Sauvignon Blanc, Shiraz and red blends, the estate combines coastal influence, varietal clarity and a strong sense of Cape Town wine country.