A perfectly integrated blend with great length, combining the spiciness of the Syrah, the fresh fruits of the Petit Verdot and the juiciness from the Merlot. The introduction is fresh and fruity with good acidity, evolving into riper flavors and herbaceous notes, and with elegant tannins and light acids on the finish. It is very versatile and will complement numerous dishes, but I like to enjoy it with a hearty lamb shank.
All grapes were hand-picked into small picking crates, sorted in the vineyards and brought to the cellar by our horses. To ensure that only the best berries are used, they sorted all grapes by hand in the winery as well. These were then placed into wooden fermenters via a gravity system.
The Rhône varietals were whole-bunch fermented and the Bordeaux varietals were de-stemmed. The fermentation started naturally with yeast present on the grapes to enhance the flavors prevailing in the vineyards. They also don’t add any sulphur at this point. Throughout the fermentation process, they did soft punch downs twice a day to gently and slowly extract the tannins.
The wines spent around 30 days on the skins, during which time the tannins were able to soften. This duration is dependent on taste. After the maceration time on the skins, they ran the wine down via gravity – still no pumping. The grape skins also fell through into the basket press and were softly pressed to gently extract the last bit of wine, aroma and color from the skins.
The varietals were aged separately in French oak. 600L Barrels for the Rhône varietal and 225L barrels for the Bordeaux varietals. Only 11 % were new barrels, to avoid dominance of wood aromatics in our wines. After 18 months in barrel, they were blended together and were kept for another 14 months in wooden fermenters. This wine is unfined and gently filtered
Winemaker : Nadia Barnard
The Rhône varietals were whole-bunch fermented and the Bordeaux varietals were de-stemmed. The fermentation started naturally with yeast present on the grapes to enhance the flavors prevailing in the vineyards. They also don’t add any sulphur at this point. Throughout the fermentation process, they did soft punch downs twice a day to gently and slowly extract the tannins.
The wines spent around 30 days on the skins, during which time the tannins were able to soften. This duration is dependent on taste. After the maceration time on the skins, they ran the wine down via gravity – still no pumping. The grape skins also fell through into the basket press and were softly pressed to gently extract the last bit of wine, aroma and color from the skins.
The varietals were aged separately in French oak. 600L Barrels for the Rhône varietal and 225L barrels for the Bordeaux varietals. Only 11 % were new barrels, to avoid dominance of wood aromatics in our wines. After 18 months in barrel, they were blended together and were kept for another 14 months in wooden fermenters. This wine is unfined and gently filtered
Winemaker : Nadia Barnard
Waterkloof is located on the southwest facing, low-yielding and windswept slopes of Schapenberg (overlooking False Bay). Here the blustery southeastern (and sometimes the northwest wind as well) churns up the vineyards with regularity. This not only allows for a very low yield, but the flavors intensify a flinty minerality.
We use organic and biodynamic winemaking methods and adhere to Old World, sustainable practices in our vineyards to ensure that the vines are nourished and in balance. Our soils are free of chemicals and are kept healthy by using plant extracts, fungi, and bacteria from our own organic compost.
The two single vineyard blocks which we used are about four kilometers from the sea and are planted at a height of between 270 and 300 meters above sea level. The soils are of sandstone origin with medium-sized stones, helping with drainage and moisture retention. The vineyards are 20 years old.
We use organic and biodynamic winemaking methods and adhere to Old World, sustainable practices in our vineyards to ensure that the vines are nourished and in balance. Our soils are free of chemicals and are kept healthy by using plant extracts, fungi, and bacteria from our own organic compost.
The two single vineyard blocks which we used are about four kilometers from the sea and are planted at a height of between 270 and 300 meters above sea level. The soils are of sandstone origin with medium-sized stones, helping with drainage and moisture retention. The vineyards are 20 years old.
