Vineyard – The Stellenbosch fruit originates from vines on decomposed granite with vistas stretching across the entire peninsula at 500m in elevation in the Simonsberg. The Elgin fruit originates from two prime plots one on decomposed sandstone, the other on Bokkeveld shale rich quartz strewn soils. A portion of Sémillon from vines nestled a top a South facing windswept Bokkeveld shale hilltop was incorporated. Dryland bush vine Darling vines atop a hillside facing the Atlantic with vistas of Table Mountain planted on terraces in ‘94 rooted in micarich granite soils & making a return after a decade of waiting. Swellendam -a.k.a Upper Sijnn River – from sandstone gallets makes a maiden appearance. A decently cool ‘n wet winter with almost average rainfall brought much relief, spring was tumultuous with erratic weather with an almost normal uneventful summer harvest – punctuated by lots of superbly ripe & generous fruit.

Vinification – Each parcel is hand harvested at dawn, crushed and allowed a brief period of skin contact prior to gentle pressing, free-run juice settled over night at low temperature, racked off to old 400L & 500L French oak barrels with a portion of fine lees and inoculated with noninterventionist yeast, cool fermented over three weeks or more. Post-ferment each climate/plot is racked to 500L & 400L old French oak (a single 225L 2nd fill barrel was also a part of the final blend) with a fair portion of fine lees & allowed about eight months of maturation prior a barrel selection & blending to tank with a portion of fine lees. A portion of Stellenbosch & Elgin wine was kept in 54L glass Demi-John and added to the blend at loading. The blended wine is kept at 12°C in tank for four months prior to bottling unfined & unfiltered, under DIAM to preserve the essence of the site, vintage & vines. Only yeast & small amounts of sulphur are added during vinification.