Elgin Sauvignon Blanc

The grapes were harvested in two stages. One block was picked at 22° Balling and the other at 22.8° Balling to achieve different flavour spectrums. Both blocks were hand-picked in the early mornings, then crushed and destemmed under a CO2 blanket. The skins were left to cold macerate in tanks for 16 hours to extract the flavour precursors. The tank was then emptied into a press, and the free-run and light press juice were separated from the rest.

Grapes come from two vineyard blocks in the Elgin area lying at 540 meters above sea level. One block is planted in an east-west row direction, while the other is planted in a north-south direction. The soils are derived from broken sandstone and have a high clay content, which is essential for excellent water retention. Because of this great water-holding capacity, the vineyards can be dryland farmed. The vines benefit from the cooling sea breezes of the Cape South Coast. Budburst took place on average 10 days earlier than in the 2022 harvest. A week before budburst, we experienced a cold spell, which led to a slower, more even budburst. Perfect weather conditions during the initial stages of the growing season favoured growth, flowering, and fruit set. Little to no wind duringflowering led to better set. A cool and wet end of March made the ripening period one of the most challenging vintages for Elgin Sauvignon Blanc, but in the end, the grapes ripened without any fungal infections.

The wine was fermented in stainless steel tanks, with the fermentation temperature maintained at around 12°C for three weeks. After three months on the fermentation lees, the wine was racked and sulphured. Bottling took place in early spring 2023.