Estate Reserve Red Blend

Beef, veal and fine aged cheese.

Leaf fall occurred earlier than usual post-harvest due to limited water availability – this was the last year of the infamous Cape drought that stretched from 2015 - 2018. Winter was late to arrive, with warmer temperatures persisting through autumn and early winter. We received 20% less winter rain than the long-term average. A warm spring stimulated early cultivars to have even and fast bud burst. Shoot growth varied due to temperature fluctuations which necessitated intensive and careful canopy management. Small amounts of rain throughout the season prevented severe water stress. Night time temperatures were cooler during ripening, which lead to good colour and flavour development. Harvest started later than normal, but did speed up mid-season. On 13 February we saw large, unseasonal hail fall, but we fortunately had limited damage. A tricky vintage, but one that rewarded careful and thorough management in the vineyard and winery.

The wine was matured in 300L French oak barrels for 18 months.

The grapes were hand-picked, destemmed 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.

Winemaker Dirk and assistant Lehandri endeavour to make Glenelly wines as naturally as possible with wild yeast fermentation and little to no acidification. The team follows a minimal intervention approach to winemaking yet intensive sorting and care is taken when receiving the grapes. We use France’s most recognised coopers (mostly from Taransaud, Boutes and Sylvain) to ensure a gentle and precise elevage, preserving the identity of the terroir of Glenelly. Hygiene is of utmost importance in the cellar and a combination of both hot water and ozonated water is used for cleaning.