2025 Technical Specifications
Alcohol 13.31%
Residual Sugar 2.9 g/L
pH 3.3
Total Acidity 6.5 g/L
Calories (estimated) 110 kcal / glass
150ml glass110 kcal
750ml bottle550 kcal
Grape Varieties Sauvignon Blanc
Sauvignon Blanc100%
Region Walker Bay
Soil Clay-rich shale derived soil 46%, Decomposed granite soil 28%, Table mountain sandstone derived soil 26%
Vineyard Yield 38.9 hL/ha
Sites Hemel-en-Aarde 48%, Walker Bay 52%
Production Volume 12 bottles
Bottles12
Production Details Barrel fermentation: 7% in neutral barrels. Release date: September 2025. Growing season: Good late winter cold units resulted in even, timely budding, additionally helped by a few warmer days at just the right time. Canopy growth was the best we have seen in 5 years and moderate yields were perfectly in balance with canopy size. In general, 2025 will be seen as one of the top South African vintages and Sauvignon blanc and Pinotage certainly benefitted from the benign conditions. Winter rainfall was higher than average, and rainfall from budbreak to veraison was lower than average, as was rainfall from ripening to harvest. Disease pressure was particularly mild compared to the previous 2 vintages. At 25.35 centigrade for the average maximum temperatures for the 4 "hottest" months (Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar) building up to and during harvest, 2025 was a touch warmer than 2024 (25.05) and warmer than the particularly cool 2023 (24.18). Harvest finished quite early, almost entirely in the month of February, with a little Pinotage coming in on March 3rd. Our Pinotage had particularly small berries and thick skins, while our Sauvignon blanc acids were wonderfully high at harvest, with healthy low pH's. The wines produced have beautiful texture and electricity. Altogether a great vintage. Wine style: Made in a way ensuring the personality of site and soil is not over-ridden by the forceful character of the variety, this wine exhibits the typical Southern Right balance of tight "Old World" minerality and length with hints of "New World" texture and body. The 2025 is a wine that favours individuality, minerality and palate complexity ahead of simple, pungent varietal aroma. A significant percentage of fruit from iron and clay-rich soil (46%) has added a textural and structural component and additional overall complexity to this wine. Granitic soils (28%) have added openness and perfume, while sandstone soils (26%) have contributed their typical bright, tensile character and a marked, saline minerality. This is Sauvignon blanc as fine wine, not Sauvignon blanc as simply a varietal expression.
2024 Technical Specifications
Alcohol 13.51%
Residual Sugar 2.7 g/L
pH 3.34
Total Acidity 6.8 g/L
Calories (estimated) 115 kcal / glass
150ml glass115 kcal
750ml bottle575 kcal
Grape Varieties Sauvignon Blanc
Sauvignon Blanc100%
Region Walker Bay
Soil Clay-rich shale derived soil 46%, Decomposed granite soil 28%, Table mountain sandstone derived soil 26%
Vineyard Yield 38.4 hL/ha
Sites Hemel-en-Aarde 46%, Walker Bay 49%, Elgin 5%
Production Volume 12 bottles
Bottles12
Production Details Barrel maturation: 8% in neutral barrels. Release date: July 2024. Growing season: Budding was earlier and more even than for the 2023 vintage, but the Cape Storm of September 24th/25th caused damage which resulted in significantly lower yields. In general, Pinotage and Sauvignon blanc handled the challenges of the growing season well versus other varieties, where high rainfall and untimely rainfall created significant disease pressure. At 25.05 centigrade for the average maximum temperatures for the 4 "hottest" months (Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar) building up to and during harvest, 2024 was warmer than the particularly cool 2023. Burgundy, for example, for the equivalent period in the Northern Hemisphere has an average of 24.66 centigrade. Harvest finished earlier than 2023 with ripening more variable, requiring careful selection. Our Pinotage had particularly small berries and thick skins, while our Sauvignon blanc acids were wonderfully high at harvest, although in some parcels the pH was a little higher than 2023. The wines produced have beautiful texture and electricity. There was just not enough of them. Wine style: Made in a way ensuring the personality of site and soil is not over-ridden by the forceful character of the variety, this wine exhibits the typical Southern Right balance of tight "Old World" minerality and length with hints of "New World" texture and body. The 2024 is a wine that favours origin expressive individuality, minerality and palate complexity ahead of simple, pungent varietal aroma. A significant percentage of fruit from iron and clay-rich soil (46%) has added a textural and structural component and additional overall complexity to this wine. Granitic soils (28%) have added openness and perfume, while sandstone soils have contributed their typical bright, tensile character and a marked, saline minerality. This is Sauvignon blanc as fine wine, not Sauvignon blanc as simply a varietal expression.
2023 Technical Specifications
Alcohol 13.48%
Residual Sugar 1.9 g/L
pH 3.38
Total Acidity 7.2 g/L
Calories (estimated) 115 kcal / glass
150ml glass115 kcal
750ml bottle575 kcal
Grape Varieties Sauvignon Blanc
Sauvignon Blanc100%
Region Walker Bay
Soil Clay-rich shale derived soil 40%, Decomposed granite soil 28%, Table mountain sandstone derived soil 32%
Vineyard Yield 40.03 hL/ha
Sites Hemel-en-Aarde 47%, Walker Bay 53%
Production Volume 12 bottles
Bottles12
Production Details Barrel maturation: 8% in neutral barrels. Release date: June 2023. Growing season: Despite slightly later bud-break for Sauvignon blanc, ripening was just over one week earlier in 2023. Later ripening sites were at risk from significant late February and March rains, but careful in-vineyard selection enabled us to bring only the best grapes to the cellar. At 24.18 centigrade for the average maximum temperatures for the 4 "hottest" months (Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar) building up to and during harvest, 2023 was one of our coolest years on record. Burgundy for the equivalent period has an average of 24.66 Centigrade. For those lucky enough to harvest before the substantial late season rains 2023 produced vibrant energetic wines with wonderful natural acidity. Wine style: Made in a way ensuring the personality of site and soil is not over-ridden by the forceful character of the variety, this wine exhibits the typical Southern Right balance of tight "Old World" minerality and length with hints of "New World" texture and body. The 2023 is a wine that favours origin expressive individuality, minerality and palate complexity ahead of simple, pungent varietal aroma. A significant percentage of fruit from iron and clay-rich soil has added a textural and structural component and additional overall complexity to this wine. The sandstone soils have contributed their typical bright, tensile character and a marked, saline minerality. This is Sauvignon blanc as fine wine, not Sauvignon blanc as simply a varietal expression.
2022 Technical Specifications
Alcohol 13.51%
Residual Sugar 1.9 g/L
pH 3.28
Total Acidity 6.5 g/L
Calories (estimated) 115 kcal / glass
150ml glass115 kcal
750ml bottle575 kcal
Grape Varieties Sauvignon Blanc
Sauvignon Blanc100%
Region Walker Bay
Soil Clay-rich shale derived soil 56%, Decomposed granite soil 26%, Table mountain sandstone derived soil 18%
Vineyard Yield 39.6 hL/ha
Sites Hemel-en-Aarde 43%, Walker Bay 47%, Elgin 10%
Production Volume 12 bottles
Bottles12
Production Details Barrel maturation: 10% in neutral barrels. Release date: June 2022. Growing season: 2022 was around 10 days later than usual for Sauvignon blanc and our average of the maximum temperatures for the 4 crucial months leading up to and during harvest was 25.18 centigrade, higher than our long-term average of 24.63 centigrade and higher than 2021. While ripening was slow and extended, harvest was fortunately complete before the first rains in early March. Winter was our wettest in 24 years and was followed by a slightly wetter than average bud break to veraison period, but with an unusually (and usefully) dry September facilitating healthy, even budding. This was a great vintage for Pinotage, with deep opulent fruit and wonderful texture and length. Apart from cold, wet, early season clay soils inhibiting shoot growth, and a few heat spikes creating the potential for sunburn, the vintage proceeded smoothly and delivered beautiful, generous, textured wines. Wine style: Made in a way ensuring the personality of site and soil is not over-ridden by the forceful character of the variety, this wine exhibits the typical Southern Right balance of tight "Old World" minerality and length with hints of "New World" texture and body. The 2022 is a wine that favours origin expressive individuality, minerality and palate complexity ahead of simple, pungent varietal aroma. A significant percentage of fruit from iron and clay-rich soil has added a textural and structural component and additional overall complexity to this wine. The sandstone soils have contributed their typical bright, tensile character and a marked, saline minerality. This is Sauvignon blanc as fine wine, not Sauvignon blanc as simply a varietal expression.
2021 Technical Specifications
Alcohol 13.32%
Residual Sugar 2.1 g/L
pH 3.31
Total Acidity 6.86 g/L
Calories (estimated) 110 kcal / glass
150ml glass110 kcal
750ml bottle550 kcal
Grape Varieties Sauvignon Blanc
Sauvignon Blanc100%
Region Walker Bay
Soil Clay-rich shale derived soil 51%, Table mountain sandstone derived soil 49%
Vineyard Yield 39.6 hL/ha
Sites Hemel-en-Aarde Valley 8%, Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley 41%, Other Walker Bay 51%
Production Volume 12 bottles
Bottles12
Production Details Barrel maturation: 9% in neutral barrels. Release date: August 2021. Growing season: This stellar vintage was later and cooler than usual. Based on our measure of temperature, the average of the maximum temperatures for the 4 hottest months (crucial to harvest) Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar 2021 came in at 24.3 Centigrade. This compares to 24.8 Centigrade for a long-term average of the equivalent period in Burgundy. In the last 25 years, only 2001, 2004 and 2008 have been cooler. Winter was wetter than usual with 140mm more rain than average, filling dams and building the water table beautifully. Chill units started accumulating later than usual and a cool Spring and later budding accounted for the later harvest. A warm January was a welcome help towards healthy ripening. Any disease pressure from rain showers during ripening was effectively controlled. Yields, as always for us, were low. The Pinot noir harvest finished 10 days later than 2020, and the Chardonnay harvest finished 8 days later. Fruit quality and acidity were exceptional for both. The 2021 wines stand out for their complex, layered elegance, purity and mineral liveliness. Wine style: Made in a way ensuring the personality of site and soil is not over-ridden by the forceful character of the variety, this wine exhibits the typical Southern Right balance of "Old World" minerality and length with hints of "New World" palate coverage and body. The 2021 is a wine that favours origin expressive individuality, minerality and palate complexity ahead of pure, pungent varietal aroma. A significant percentage of fruit from iron and clay-rich soil has added a mid-palate structural component and additional overall complexity to this wine. The Sandstone soils have contributed their typical bright, tensile character and a marked minerality.
Producer Information
Website
Address
Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, R320, Hermanus, 7200, South Africa
Phone
+27 (0)28 312 3595
Email
Owner
Anthony Hamilton Russell