Peter Barlow

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

The 2019 vintage was a challenging one for the Rustenberg team. While the winter of 2018 was a welcome break from the previous four winters of drought, most vineyards had not fully recovered and produced below average yields. A warm snap in June and a wet Spring, coupled with a wetter than average Summer harvesting season made 2019 a challenge, with some late harvest thinning or multiple harvests of the same vineyard required to achieve uniformity. Early and mid-season ripening varieties performed well, all achieving flavour ripeness at lower alcohol levels, while late ripening varieties required patience and extended time on the vines, again achieving lower alcohols overall, but creating ripe, structured wines.

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.