White

Enjoy this wine with excellent company, or a fresh, green, summer salad.

Going into the 2023 season on the back of a slightly “drier” winter and warmer spring, bud break occurred early. There was no real disease pressure during Spring through early summer and flowering followed the early season, luckily just after receiving some rain. Though we were grateful to receive some rain right before flowering, this rain combined with additional heat during October led to increased vegetative growth resulting in increased humidity within the canopy – meaning a season of increased suckering to allow for air movement and better spray penetration in the bunch zone. Bunches set more loosely, and though berry size remained consistent, bunches were lighter. Mid-December rains led to soil reserves being filled and another spike in vegetative growth. It was dry from late December through January, with a welcome bit of rain on the 25th just to allow for extra hang time during an otherwise early season. February showed textbook conditions and we were very happy with this crop showing beautiful phenolic ripeness at lower sugar levels and higher than average acid concentrations.

This wine was carefully crafted from grapes grown against the mountainous slopes of the diverse Western Cape. This year’s blend of 61% Sauvignon blanc and 39% Sémillon provides dense textural layers to peel away at. To retain the fresh and delicate aromas that have become characteristic of this offering, both portions were fermented at a cool temperature in stainless steel. After fermentation the final wine was allowed to remain on its gross lees for 6 months to add some fleshy texture to the vibrant medium before a light filtration pre-bottling.

The PAS DE NOM CREATIVE BATCH is an atypical character that was born during unconventional times. It is an all-encompassing package containing the works of many growers from all corners of our industry. Hence the closure reading “#SAVESAWINE”, a campaign created in support and aid of the livelihoods dependent on our South African wine industry.