Estate Reserve 1.5L

The grapes were hand-sorted and lightly crushed into stainless steel fermentation tanks. They were given a cold soak for three days before allowing the natural fermentation to start. Three pump-overs a day were done on the tanks during fermentation, after which they underwent extended skin contact for 2-3 weeks. The wine was placed in French oak barrels to undergo malolactic fermentation.

Flowering and berry set was good. Vigorous growth happened due to high soil moisture content, which was a result of the wet winter, therefore more canopy management was required. Rain in November and January meant that we needed less irrigation, but disease pressure was higher and stricter controls were needed. Ideal dry and moderate conditions reigned during ripening in late January and February. Cooler March helped with hang time on the vine. Harvest was 1 week later than normal due to the late cold winter. Stellenbosch had one of the wettest seasons in years, but the wine quality is exceptional.

Matured for 18 months in French oak and racked on average every four months.