Brut Classique Rosé

To ensure optimum freshness and fruit complexity, the grapes are received early in the morning and whole-bunch pressed. The free run and second press components are kept separate; the juice settled and inoculated and fermentation commences. After fermentation, the wine is settled and racked off the lees and the separate components blended together. The base wine is filtered and the wine is sweetned before bottling; preparing it for the second fermentation in the bottle. At bottling, the yeast is added to the sweetened base wine and stirred. The bottles are stored at a temperature of 13-15 degress C for a long, slow secondary fermentation. The wines are tasted weekly to monitor how the fermentation progresses, until it is dry and fermentation is completed. The bottles are then kept for 2-4 years on the lees further bottle maturation. During the disgorging process we add dosage (a mixture of base wine and sugar), and after disgorgement, the bottles are kept for about 3 months before being released into the market.

The Pinot noir vineyards at Altima (Elandskloof) have a unique trellising system and are the only Pinot noir vineyards in South Africa at a very high altitude using the posted vine method (stok-by-paaltjie). Most of our other vines are trellised in the VSP (vertical shoot positioning) method. The Pinot noir vineyards at L'Ormarins are situated on moderate to steep slopes with an altitude ranging between 178-188m above sea level. The soils are mainly decomposed granite with alluvial sandy soils. The Chardonnay vineyards at Rooderust also consist of decomposed shale with a larger percentage of clay in the composition. This soil type belongs to the Oakleaf group of soils, and are calcareous with excellent draining and water-retention properties.