The 2020 vintage yield was significantly higher than the preceding 2019 vintage, which had experienced three years of severe drought. Changing weather conditions during the flowering and fruit set period in October resulted in some uneven ripening, but moderate weather during the growing season produced strong growth and denser canopies. The slightly cooler conditions leading up to harvest produced excellent fruit with balanced acidity and concentrated flavours.

Grapes are hand-picked, placed in small lug boxes, and then transported to the cellar in a refrigerated truck. The whole berries are double-sorted in the cellar using an optical sorting machine to ensure that only the best quality grapes are used. The must was fermented dry on the skins and then macerated for an extended period of time after fermentation. This results in a deep colour and a good tannin structure. Fermentation took place in a combination of French oak and stainless steel tanks followed by malolactic fermentation barrel. Each component was matured separately in 225L French oak barrels for 20 months, with 30% of the barrels being new oak.

Many vines were still battling to recover from the drought the Western Cape had experienced over the previous three to four years, even with a moderate to good rainfall. Crop size decreased to a record low. Despite the decreased yields and some uneven ripening, this vintage could provide wines of good quality. Smaller berries helped to maintain a balance between acidity and sugar as well as a decent distribution of flavors.

To ensure that only the best grapes were utilized, all components were sorted using an optical sorting system. The wine underwent a lengthy post-fermentation maceration after being dry-skinned fermented. This guarantees good tannin structure along with deep color extraction. French oak and stainless steel tanks were used for fermentation in order to enhance complexity. In the barrel, the malolactic fermentation was finished, and then the wine was racked off the lees. Before the final blend , each component was matured separately for 20 months in 225L French oak barrels, with 30% of those barrels being first fill.

2018 showed good fruit and a promise of a good consistent wine. Lower rainfall, definitely contributes to more challenges in the cellar. Yields were lower than previous years and smaller bunches were noticeable, with potentially good structure and tannin.

The Berries are from a selection of vineyards from our Rooderust farm and L’Ormarins farm. This combination contributes to the complexity achieved in the fruit and structure of the wine. All berries was sorted by an optic sorting machine to ensure that only the best quality grapes are used for vinification. Wine was fermented dry on the skins in various fermentation tanks and underwent extended post fermentation maceration. The wine was finally aged in 225L French oak barrels for 20 months with 30% new oak being used.

After a careful process of identifying the top terroir for each cultivar, sites were identified, assessed and then selected. Grapes were tested and tasted for ripeness by the winemakers on a daily basis. Vineyards were selected from different sites in the Western Cape (mainly Franschhoek and Groenekloof) and each varietal paired to a selected soil, climate and slope.

An Optical sorting machine was used to ensure that only the best quality grapes are used. Wine was fermented dry on the skins and underwent extended post fermentation maceration. This ensures deep colour and a good tannin structure enhancing the maturation potential in the wine. Malolactic barrel fermentation completed before the wine was racked off the lees. Each component was aged separately and then matured in 225L French oak barrels for 20 months with only 30% first fill barrels being used.

With lower rainfall bringing challenging conditions, the total wine grape production was lower than 2015. With drier weather conditions, the vineyards produced smaller healthy berries with high flavour concentration and good colour.

An Optical sorting machine was used to ensure that only the best quality grapes are used. Wine was fermented dry on the skins and underwent extended post fermentation maceration. This ensures deep colour and a good tannin structure enhancing the maturation potential in the wine. Malolactic barrel fermentation completed before the wine was racked off the lees. Each component was aged separately and then matured in 225L French oak barrels for 20 months with only 30% first fill barrels being used.

After a careful process of identifying the top terroir for each cultivar, sites were identified, assessed and then selected. Grapes were tested and tasted for ripeness by the winemakers on a daily basis. Vineyards were selected from different sites in the Western Cape and each varietal paired to a selected soil, climate and slope.

In 2015 the grapes were handpicked in the early morning , placed in lug boxes and transported in refrigerated trucks to arrive at the cellar. The grapes were then sorted on a double-sorting table. After the cold-soaking, fermentation started and lasted for about 20 days. Malolactic fermentation took place in 225ℓ new French oak barrels and 10000ℓ wooden tanks. The wines were made and aged separately for 18 months in 225ℓ French oak barrels (35% new oak). The wines were blended and aged for a further 6 months in barrel and tank and bottle-matured for 24 months before release.