Pinot Noir

This Pinot Noir pairs excellently with dishes such as roasted duck, grilled salmon, mushroom risotto, and soft cheeses like Brie or Camembert.

The vineyard descends along a hillside, transitioning from an easterly-facing aspect to a northeast-facing slope. This slightly cooler profile enhances the development of darker fruit tones and spicier aromatics. The tannins remain fine and subtle, contributing to the wines overall elegance, The high clay content int he soil lends itself to wines with bright acidity and a more pronounces mineral character. The 2023 Pinot Noir vintage saw a generous yield, marking a 8.95% increase over the long-term average. The season recorded an average rainfall of 788mm, with 43% (341mm) occurring during the wet growing period. One notable challenge was a two-week heatwave in January, which accelerated the ripening process.

It then aged for 11 months in a mix of second-and third-fill barrels. After barrel aging, the wine was transferred to a stainless steel tank, where it rested for an additional six months to allow for homogenisation. Finally, the wine was carefully filtered and bottled, ensuring balance and purity in the final expression.

This Pinot Noir clone was carefully destemmed into stainless steel fermenters, with 20% left as whole bunches to enhance complexity. The must underwent a three-day cold soak before spontaneous fermentation began, lasting approximately 10 days. During this time, the fermenting myst was gently pumped over the grape skins twice daily. Following fermentation, the wine remained on the skins for an additional 4-5 days to develop structure and depth before being pressed off into barrels for maturation.

Nestled in the picturesque mountains of the Hemel-en-Aarde valley lies our beautiful and bright wine estate, La Vierge. Without boasting too much, we’re proud to be the home of some of the most tantalising wines in the valley – which we aim to continuously achieve here. Thanks to our continued dedication, it’s no wonder that our wines are desired world-wide. So why not add some of our bottles to your collection?