Grape Varieties:
Pinot Noir (60%), Chardonnay (40%)
In the Vineyard:
Grown at 330 m on the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, about 7 km from the Atlantic, in clay soils flecked with decomposed Bokkeveld shale.
Winemaking Method and Maturation:
Colour comes from the saignée method, with juice bled from the press once it has the right blush. The base wines are cool-fermented in stainless steel to keep their delicate fruit, then aged for 96 months on the lees in bottle.
Wine Tasting Notes:
On colour
Pale salmon-pink, with a fine, persistent bead.
On the nose
Strawberry, black cherry and raspberry leap from the glass, followed by a savoury, saline edge.
On the palate
A fine, soft mousse carries the red-berry fruit and gentle brioche from eight years on the lees into a clean, dry finish.
On the whole
A fantastic food wine with complex flavours, from one of the Hemel-en-Aarde's specialist Cap Classique houses.
Taste profile
Medium-bodied
Bright & crisp
Off-dry
Flavours
From the fruit
From the oak barrel
From time in the bottle