Pierneef Syrah Viognier

Please note: Award stickers are applied at the producer's discretion and may not be present on all bottles.

Grapes from the different Syrah vineyards were harvested at different times, but always together with an amount of Viognier. The grapes were hand-sorted and then fermented without stems. Regular pump-overs were one during fermentation at about 25 degrees Celsius.

The dry conditions during the preceding two seasons continued and caused the harvest to be 15% smaller than that of 2017. The preceding winter was cold enough to allow adequate dormancy, but started late. This delayed budding and, eventually, harvesting started approximately two weeks later than in 2017. Dry and windy conditions once again allowed the grapes to stay healthy, while cool conditions promoted flavour retention. In some areas damage was caused by frost. Production in Elim was much lower as a result of hail damage in November. The Elim vineyards grow in duplex soils with a high content of ferrocrete (coffee stone), the Walker Bar vineyards in shallow shale and the Franschhoek vineyards in deep, sandy, decomposed sandstone and granite. Cool conditions in the Elim area resulted in a naturally low yield of about 5 tons/ha. The Walker Bay vineyards also produces a low yield because of dry windy conditions and the shallow shale soils. The Franschhoek Viognier was chosen because of its late ripening and was harvested together with the Syrah in order to co-ferment.

After about 15 days' maceration the free run and press wine were transferred together to 300 litre barrels and matured for 14 months. 50% of the barrels were new.