Agulhas Wine Triangle Sauvignon Blanc Collection

The Grapes are from Francis Pratt's farm. Hand-picked, processed, crushed, in the press with minimal skin contact. Pressed into stainless steel tanks where fermentation took place. Extended lease contact was followed by blending the Berrio components. The wine was then stablised and bottled.

Grapes were harvested in three separate hand pickings to ensure a full spectrum of complexity, contributing to the flavour of this wine. To ensure the best quality wines, only free run juice was used. Cold fermentation with specially selected yeast strains and extended lees contact were given, for a lingering mouth feel and good aging potential.

Harvest started in the middle of February and continued for two weeks. Cold fermentation of the different Sauvignon Blanc parcels happened separately in tank after which they were left of the lees for a few months before meticulous blending took place. Bottling took place in Oct 2020.

Grapes are harvested early morning at 23° Balling. Layered in dry ice to reduce contact with oxygen, it is then transported in cold trucks to Du Toitskloof Wines for vinification. After crushing and destemming the juice is kept on the skins for 6 hours. Free-run juice is then settled and racked.

Grapes are sourced from the southernmost tip of the African continent where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet; this area is known as the Agulhas Wine Triangle. Ancient soils of sandstone, quartz and broken shale lead to a unique terroir while the cool maritime climate with strong winds temper the vineyards to restrict skyward growth and allow for gradual ripening of the grapes. Wines have distinctive varietal characteristics with low yields delivering concentrated and complex flavours, elegance, structure and depth; reflecting the uniqueness of the region.

After fermentation the wine spends 4 months on the fine lees followed by fining, stabilization and bottling.

The grapes were harvested by hand at 22.5˚ to 24.5˚ Balling and handled reductively. The juice was cold fermented at 13˚to 15˚C to preserve the natural grape flavours. The wine was left on the lees for eight weeks before being racked.

This registered Single Vineyard site was deliberately chosen, owing to its specific terroir consisting of fine caolin clay soils, for the crafting of the Sugarbush Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc. This is one of the highest vineyards on the farm situated on the SE facing slopes of Ben Lomond, which ensures that the vineyard is cooled by the prevailing summer winds off of the sea. The vineyards of Lomond are surrounded by indigenous flora known as Fynbos. This single vineyard wine is named after a vulnerable listed species endemic to the Agulhas Region, Protea obtusifolia or Limestone Sugarbush.

Innovative winemaking techniques, cold fermentation with selected yeast strains tanks and lees contact for five months.

Prior to the harvest we has a very good Winter with enough cold units and good rain, but when Spring set in we noticed that the WInter unfortunately didn't stop. It was still cold and wet with lots of rain in the Cape South Coast region in November, which is not at all ideal during flowering season and so many wet days created the right conditions for the development of severe Downy Mildew throughout the region. This can have a devastating effect on the canopy and in the grape bunches and can cause a dramatic loss of the crop. Our vines were still sensitive after last year's hail damage, their reserves were not what they should have been and fertility in the buds was less than what it should be. Fortunately for us not all of our vineyards were affected. The result was a low yield but very good quality.