Product Description
The Vineyard
Altydgedacht is a 412 hectare estate, that has been in the Parker family since 1852. Brothers John and Oliver and their teams utilizes the Durbanville microclimate to its fullest to produce wines with distinctive varietal expression. Dry land vineyards with Hutton soils and trellised hedges. Average age of vineyards – 15 years. Although being a white grape, Gewürztraminer berries turn a rosy pink upon ripening.
The Harvest
The grapes were hand-picked in the cool morning hours at a minimum of 23°Balling- a critical factor in the making of Gewürztraminer. Due to the age of the vines, the bunches do not ripen evenly and subsequently the block was harvested in 3 stages. A new block has also come into production in 2012.
The Cellar
After harvest, the grapes were cooled overnight to 10 ºC prior to vinification. The grapes were subsequently sorted, de-stemmed, crushed, pressed and allowed to cold settle over two days. The juice was cold-fermented with VIN 13 at 11 °C and racked at dryness. Extended lees maturation, enhanced by an autolytic enzyme, was allowed for 11 months prior to bottling.
Awards
2012 vintage – Michelangelo Double Gold Medal ( Michelangelo Wine Awards 2012 )
2013 vintage – Veritas Gold ( 2013 ), Six Nations Challenge Gold ( 2013 )
2014 vintage – Six Nations Challenge Double Gold ( 2014 )
