The Hemel-en-Aarde Valley is one of the most exciting places to grow Pinot Noir in South Africa. Cap Maritime sits perched on top of a ridge separating the Upper Hemel-en-Aarde appellation from the Valley. It is here where wines that capture the essence of their origin, while at the same time representing an aspired style, is created.

The Pinot Noir vineyards are situated in the Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley appellation and planted on distinctive soils comprising of Table Mountain sandstone and decomposed granite. The climate is cool and temperate, where parallel mountain ranges channel ocean winds through the appellation during the summer.

The Pinot Noir was picked and sorted into small lug boxes and transported in refrigerated trucks to the winery in Franschhoek. At the winery, a careful triage (selection process) took place, to ensure that only healthy whole berries were transferred into concrete fermentation tanks. Most of the grapes were destemmed, leaving a whole-cluster component of about 20% with no additions being made. After spontaneous fermentation, 60% of the juice is trasferred to Stockinger 2500 L Foudre, and 40% to new French Oak barriques for elevage of up to 14 months, including a prolonged malolactic fermentation under low temperatures.