Bowwood Pinotage

The grapes are hand-picked in early February with the ripeness of 25 Balling. Each bunch is pre- chilled before being destemmed and berry sorted. The berries are not crushed but are fermented whole. This allows for a gradual extraction of tannins and colour, which promotes finesse, balance and longevity. The berries are fermented in open-top fermenters, which provide easy access for the winemaker to assess and manipulate the fermentation. The wine is punched down (mixed) rigorously for 5 days and then basket pressed directly to new and second fill, 300L American oak barrels. Malolactic fermentation takes place in barrel, which promotes harmony and seamless integration of the oak flavours.

This wine is made from a small, site-specific vineyard, planted in clay-rich gravel soil. The vigour of the vineyard is relatively poor, and the vines are shy yielding. This ensures tiny berries with concentrated flavour. The North-South orientation of the block means that the grapes are well exposed to morning and late afternoon sunshine, which is perfect for intense colour and aromatic development.

The wine is further matured on the yeast and malolactic lees for 14 months. At this point, the finest 8 barrels are selected, blended and returned to barrel for an additional 6 months. Finally, the wine is kept for 4 months in a stainless- steel tank to promote stability and clarification, before it is bottled and laid to rest for a full year before it is released.