A profound minerality with grapefruit and quince on the nose; an interesting palate combination of freshness and creamy spices is underlined by rich tones of roasted chestnuts.

Vineyard: This is the only wine made from grapes which didn’t originate from the farm. However, we didn’t have to look further than one of our neighbouring farms to find an impressive vineyard of 30-year-old dryland bush vines. A ridiculously low yield of 3 tons/ha with small berries ensured that even though we picked the grapes with only moderate ripeness, we still had a great concentration of flavours.

Winemaking: After being chilled overnight, the grapes were whole bunch pressed. A third of the juice was pressed directly into barrel, where fermentation took place spontaneously. The rest of the juice was settled overnight in a stainless steel tank before the clean juice was racked and inoculated with pure yeast cultures, then transferred to barrel for fermentation.

The barrels used were old 300-litre barrels because it was not our intention to dominate the wine with oak character but to use the barrel simply as an
ageing vessel.

Tasting note: By picking the grapes early, we can enjoy 100% naturally fresh acidity. The wine expresses a profound minerality, with grapefruit and quince on the nose, and an interesting palate combination of freshness and creamy spices, underlined by rich tones of roasted chestnuts. This wine was intended to be matured and is starting to develop a desirable lanolin and floral character which will increase with age. Surprisingly, for a wine of this concentration, it has a mere 12.1% alcohol.

Food pairing: Due to the richness and complexity of this wine, it can easily be paired with dishes heavier than those normally partnered with white wines. The lower alcohol and higher acidity rinse the palate, making the wine suitable for most starters and earlier main dishes. Typically, I would pair the wine with duck or a heavier fowl, as well as creamier fish dishes, especially with a dill or
parsley sauce.