Vineyard: All fruit was sourced from our own vineyard – located within the coolest, westernmost reaches of the Casablanca Valley. Sourced from blocks planted on grey clays mixed with sand and with an average vine age of between 10 and 22 years. Yields averaged 8 tonnes per hectare (3.2 tons per acre).

Harvest: The grapes were carefully machine harvested at night, with an ambient temperature of between 1 and 5°C (34 to 41ºF)

Vinification: Upon arrival at the winery all grapes were first destemmed and crushed to stainless steel tanks (via a chiller in order to drop the temperature to -3ºC or 27ºF) where they were then left to cold soak for a little over five days. Following this time the free-run juice was drained by gravity from the tanks. The remaining skins and juice were then dug-out and gently squeezed using pneumatic presses in order to separate light from hard pressings. The resulting juices were then left to cold settle (at 10ºC/50ºF) for 4 days following which time 48% of the blend was gravity fed to a mixture of new (15%), second (12%) and third use (21%) French oak barrels where it was fermented during a period of 25 days (with temperatures peaking at around 17ºC/63ºF). The remaining 52% of the blend was ultra-cool fermented in stainless steel tanks at temperatures of between 7 and 13°C/44-55°F. All juices were first inoculated with Torulaspora delbrueckii (a native yeast isolated from the vineyard) and then, 3-4 days later when fermentation had already begun, they were inoculated a second time with Saccharomyces cerevisiae. After fermentation had finished the barrels were sulphured at which point battonage (or manual lees stirring) was carried out weekly for the following ten months. After a total of 10 months in barrel the wine was gently nitrogen racked to tank at which point it was cold stabilised, filtered and bottled.

Tasting Notes: Pale straw in colour. On the nose aromas of quince, toast and red apple dominate. In the mouth a citrus backbone is fleshed-out by ample mineral/smoky notes finishing with crème brûlée and walnut notes. A bright, zesty acidity imparts excellent structure and length.

Wine Analysis:
Alcohol:                    14%
pH:                          3.1
Total Acidity:        6.5 g/L
Residual Sugar:    3.1 g/L
Volatile Acidity:          0.60 g/L

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