Collection Shiraz

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Bunches were picked at 25 balling early March when grapes showed physiological ripeness. Berries were crushed and cold-soaked for about 48 hours at 15°C, then inoculated with suitable yeast. The must was fermented in stainless steel tanks with aeration every 4 hours to extract all the intense colour and flavours from the skins. Fermentation took about 5 days at temperatures between 24-28°C. During maturation a touch of oak adds complexity.

These 10ha of vines were planted in 2000 on (101-14) rootstock with 2.5m x 1.2m spacing. Vines are drip-irrigated to ensure optimal ripening and trained on the 5-wire Perold trellis system. Planted on soils of weathered granite on clay, the vines are situated on NW facing slopes. The nearby Atlantic Ocean has a cooling effect on the vineyards during ripening season. Post harvest 2023 Stellenbosch had a cold winter with above average rainfall and sufficient cold units for the vines to rest. Slightly warmer temperatures end Aug led to even budding and slow initial growth. End September saw strong winds and heavy rainfall which slowed things down again. No significant amounts of rain towards Feb. With these conditions harvest was about 10days earlier than normal. White wines show good intensity and reds of high quality. Overall, the yields were down by 10%.