Technical Specifications
Alcohol 13.5%
Residual Sugar 2.28 g/L
pH 3.39
Total Acidity 6.06 g/L
Calories (estimated) 115 kcal / glass
150ml glass115 kcal
750ml bottle575 kcal
Grape Varieties Viognier
Viognier100%
Region Constantia
Harvest Dates February 13-March 2, 2023
Fermentation Vessels Concrete Egg, Oak Barrel
Pressing Method Whole Cluster
Oak Aging 7 months
Lees Aging 7 months
Oak Types French
Barrel Size 225L
Production Details Going into the 2023 season on the back of a slightly drier winter and warmer spring, bud break at Beau occurred around 12 days early. There was no real disease pressure during Spring through early summer and our first flower hoods detached from around 24 October, luckily just after receiving 34mm of rain. Though we were grateful to receive some rain right before flowering, this rain combined with additional heat during October led to increased vegetative growth resulting in increased humidity within the canopy, not ideal for the flowering microclimate. It meant a season of increased suckering to allow for air movement and better spray penetration in the bunch zone. Bunches set more loosely than in prior years, and though berry size remained consistent, bunches were lighter. Mid-December rains led to soil reserves being filled and another spike in vegetative growth. Our Viognier is grown on a combination of terrains on our Estate and the 2023 fruit came in over 3 small pickings between 13 February and 2 March, on average a week earlier than the year prior. Bunches were picked just after sunrise, cooled overnight and whole bunch pressed the following morning. Sulphur and dry ice were both omitted at processing in an attempt to hyper oxidise the juice. Juice settled over 2 days before being racked to various vessels for fermentation. We believe that neutral vessels do well in preserving our vineyards' unique characteristics, and so 30% of the blend fermented and matured in concrete egg and the remainder 70% in older 225L French oak barrels. Once fermentation was complete, the wine matured on the gross fermentation lees for 7 months with zero batonage before all parts were brought together in stainless steel to settle for a month before bottling.
Tasting Notes
orange blossom, jasmine flower, mascarpone, white peach, candied mandarin
▸ Sources (1)
Producer Information
Website
Address
1043 Constantia Main Rd, Constantia, Cape Town, 7806, South Africa
Phone
+27 21 794 8632
Email
Owner
Du Preez family
Cellarmaster
Megan van der Merwe