Product Description
Varieties
Viognier
The Vineyard
High up on the western slope of the Tygerberg, roughly 200 metres above sea level, 7 kilometres from
and in sight of the Atlantic Ocean, the Viognier vines are nourished by well-drained blue, broken shale
soil with areas of gravel and sub-layers of clay. Utilising the VSP trellis system, a typical harvest produces 7-8 tons per hectare.
The Harvest
The 2019 vintage will be remembered as one that followed the most severe drought in South Africa
during 2018. In the second half of 2018, supporting rainfall ensured good soil moisture with cool and
moderate ripening and harvesting conditions for 60% of the intake of the 2019 vintage. The 2019 crop
was medium sized, resulting in some excellent wines.
Grapes grown on a vineyard is situated on the mid-section of our farm, on a North Western Slope where the soil is dominated by gravel. Viognier is quite unique with berries that shrivel towards full ripeness. Sampling and tasting the fruit during ripening is of utmost importance to end up with a balance between fruit, alcohol and structure. The result is a wine with rich, intense aromas and tastes of white flowers, ripe fleshy peaches, apricots and desiccated pineapple followed through on the palate with an undertow of soft, buttery oak barrel flavours
The Cellar
Viognier berries begin to shrivel towards ripeness, a unique variety characteristic that necessitates careful sampling and tasting before harvest to ensure balance and complexity of flavour is achieved in the wine. Handpicked bunches are destalked and crushed, with the juice settling before inoculation. The
majority of the juice is fermented in stainless steel tanks in order to maintain its fresh fruity characteristics, while the remaining 30% is fermented and then aged for 90 days in Romanian oak barrels for a creamier, complementary complexity before blending back into the tank portion. This is followed by protein stabilisation, cold stabilisation and bottling.
Residual Sugar: 4.4 g/l
pH: 3.25
Total Acidity: 6.2 g/l
Alcohol: 14.5%
Aging Potential
Crisp, fresh and ready to drink now, but would become slightly richer and creamier with up to 3
years of bottle maturation
Awards
2019
Sakura Japan Women’s Wine Awards 2020 Gold
2017
Platter’s 4 Stars
Vitis Vinifera Awards 2017 Gold
2014
The Sommeliers Selection 2015 – House Wine, White
2012
Platter’s 4 ½ Stars
Michelangelo International Wine Awards 2012 Double Gold
SA Terroir Wine Awards Top Viognier – Durbanville Ward
