Vin De Hel Late Harvest

Enjoy with dessert or some hand crafted cheeses.

Apart from some warmer days during December and January, we experienced a relatively cool season, ideal for achieving optimal berry and seed ripeness.

The grapes, which at this stage have a combination of Botrytis, raisin like and juicy berries are gently destemmed and crushed to optimise juice extraction. Additional raisins which are not removed by the de-stemmer are removed by hand and added back to the tank. Fermentation is allowed to start on the skins for at least 24 – 48 hours. After which the skins are pressed during a slow 3-hour press cycle.

In 1983 Gyles Webb and his wife's family purchased a run-down fruit farm at the top of the Helshoogte Pass in Stellenbosch where they established Thelema Mountain Vineyards. At a time when the South African wine scene was focused on quantity rather than quality Webb was a trailblazing pioneer on a mission to craft world-class wines. Construction began on the winery in 1987 and Thelema produced its first vintage in 1988. Situated on the slopes of the Simonsberg Thelema occupies mainly south-facing aspects that afford spectacular views of the Simonsberg Drankenstein and Jonkershoek mountains. Elevations ranging from 370 to 640 meters above sea-level make the 157-hectare estate one of the coolest and highest wine farms in Stellenbosch.