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.
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Producer Information
Website
Address
Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, R320, Hermanus, 7200, South Africa
Phone
+27 (0)28 312 3595
Email
Owner
Anthony Hamilton Russell