Stok by Paaltjie Grenache

The fruit was hand-harvested in the early morning and brought to the cellar at optimal coolness. 20% whole bunches were thrown into the bottom of the foudre (open-top French oak barrels) and the rest of the grapes were sorted and destemmed on top. The grapes were then allowed to cold soak for a day before fermentation was initiated in the foudre. Thereafter, the grapes were punched down twice daily, with aeration as needed. After the peak of fermentation, the wine was only pumped over once a day until fermentation was completed. The wine was then basket pressed and transferred to older French oak barrels for malolactic fermentation and allowed to mature for a further 9 months. After final barrel selection, the wine was assembled, settled and lightly filtered before being bottled.

The grapes were harvested from low yielding terraced Stok-by-Paaltjie (vine by post) vineyards, planted on decomposed granite and ancient deep Malmesbury shale soils on the east facing slopes of Paarl Mountain at Fairview. The vineyard is inter-planted with rows of fynbos indigenous to the Paarl Mountain Reserve. A parcel from the rocky shale soils were selected for this wine.