Peter Barlow

Pair it with foods that can stand up to its richness, such as a luxurious beef Wellington.

The Winter of 2016 was dry but cold as drought conditions persisted in the Western Cape. Despite the drought, a warm, dry spring and little wind meant that there was little disease pressure and little stress on the vineyards beyond the heat. Harvest started slightly earlier than usual but was 10 days later than the record early start of the 2016 vintage. Careful use of irrigation to offset the dry drought conditions and cold nights experienced during the first four months of the year resulted in superb quality, and wonderful acidity, colour and flavour concentration in the wines. Indications are that 2017 will be an excellent vintage with plenty of potential to age well.

Wine spends 24 Months in 64% new, 36% 2nd and 3rd fill French oak barrels.

The fruit is de-stemmed and crushed with pump overs occuring during fermentation. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks using cultured active dry wine yeast. Extended maceration period of up to 2 weeks.

The Rustenberg Estate was founded in 1682 and is nestled in the valley of the Simonsberg Mountain in South Africa’s premium wine region Stellenbosch. Rustenberg’s rich heritage and ethos has been informed by many centuries of human influence striving to understand and work with nature to produce wines of distinct character true to their terroir variety and informed style.