Ghost In The Machine Clairette Blanche

Originally planted for brandy production many years ago, only a few Clairette Blanche vineyards remain in South Africa, as most have been removed over time. The grapes for this wine are handpicked from two very old vineyards, meticulously handsorted, and then destemmed into stainless steel fermenters. They undergo a cold soak followed by a six-day fermentation on the skins. This wine is considered an "orange wine," but without the typical orange hue—partly due to the grape variety and primarily because we carefully manage oxygen exposure to prevent unnecessary browning. We believe that over-oxidation is simply poor winemaking. Once fermentation is nearly complete, the must is gently pressed using a basket press and finishes fermentation in old 228-liter Burgundy barrels, were usually a 20% partial malolactic fermentation also occurs before the cellar gets too cold in autumn.