Op die Berg Syrah

Wine was made in an open fermenter with half whole clusters and half destalked, using the pneumatic punch down method. Malolactic fermentation took place in stainless steel tanks.

The cool nighttime temperature and warmer day time temperature ensured wines with great concentration in 2023, the compact bunches and small berries also added to that. The winter season started earlier than usual, and March was a very wet month. Véraison started early but continued for a long time. Harvest was also early - 11 days earlier than the previous year - and stopped fourteen days earlier than in 2022. The temperatures were moderate with few heat waves. High on the Witzenberg Mountain range in Ceres, at an altitude of 1,000 meters above sea level, this unique appellation exhibits South Africa’s only truly continental climate with winter temperatures frequently dropping below freezing. Well-drained, soft, yellow shale soils. In winter, the vineyard soil is often covered with a layer of snow which provides the perfect conditions for dormancy of the vines, a much-needed resting and recovery period before the growth season starts.

Next, the wine was transferred to seasoned French Oak barrels for 12 months’ maturation prior to blending and bottling.