Sauvignon Blanc

Only the very best Sauvignon blancs in the winery are selected for this wine, to create what we believe is a world-class expression of the cultivar. The intensely structured palate is laden with aromas of tropical fruit, supported by a backbone of the grassy, green pepper aromas that Sauvignon blanc is so well-known for. Subtle notes of oak round out the long finish of the wine. This is a serious wine with a long future and will reward careful cellaring for the next 5 to 8 years.

The grapes were selected from vineyards in Durbanville and Darling, all near the cooling breeze of the Atlantic Ocean. Due to a cool, wet spring, budding was seven to 14 days later than usual, but consistently good and even, promising a great vintage. Some leaf plucking in the bunch zone early in December ensured enough sunlight on the fruit and created a healthy microclimate around the bunches.

The grapes were picked early in the morning and in some cases even during the night. We handle Sauvignon Blanc very reductively from the start with dry ice in the vineyard through to the fermentation vessel. 50% of the grapes were crushed as soon as it arrived (before 10am) with a CO2 blanket and given at least 12 hours skin contact. The other 50% were “whole bunch” pressed into the settling tanks. The portion that received skin contact was fermented in stainless steel tanks while the “whole bunch” portion was fermented in new 400L French oak barrels. The wine spent 6 months on the lees and in barrel before it was blended and bottled.