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La Vierge Original Sin Sauvignon Blanc 2009

The road to heaven is paved with a zillion temptations as Adam and Eve discovered when they had been tempted by the serpent to eat from the forbidden fruit. In Hemel-en-Aarde, Chardonnay is the rage. We had sinned by planting Sauvignon Blanc, but we did so knowing that it would bring us infinite knowledge about this cool-climate grape variety. And now are afforded an opportunity to taste the forbidden fruit of the Hemel-en-Aarde.

The profile of this wine is based on the vines planted on a variation of Shale and Clay based soils and the wine therefore expresses the broad richness of the clay on the palate and aromatic green fruit and mineral character on the nose. Using a blend of yeasts, it shows concentrated thatch and lemon grass character with a mineral follow through on the palate.

variety : Sauvignon Blanc [ 89% Sauvignon Blanc, 11% Semillon ]
winery : La Vierge Wines
winemaker : Marc van Halderen
wine of origin : Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge
analysis : alc : 14 % vol  rs : 2.1 g/l  pH : 3.22  ta : 6.6 g/l  va : 0.51 g/l  
type : White  body : Full  taste : Mineral   wooded
pack : Bottle  closure : Cork  
in the vineyard :  This offering produced from shy-bearing vineyards that are situated on Babylon Farm in the Ward of Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, Walker Bay. The wine, a clear and true reflection of the potential of the unique soils and maritime site situated in the hills above Hermanus, is released a year after vintage as a prime example of slow-developing cool-climate Sauvignon Blanc.

Soil Type: Argillaceous Shale of the Bokkeveld Series
Aspect: South and South East
Trellising System: Vertical Shoot Positioning (Perold)
Age of Vines: 4 years
Vines per Hectare: 5400
Climate: These Walker Bay vineyards of Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, are situated within close proximity to the Atlantic Ocean. The maritime climate being more "temperate" in style, where parallel mountain ranges channel the southerly sea breezes through the appellation during the summer. These winds in turn bring regular sea mists and overcast conditions to the valley and with it more even temperatures. The average temperature is 19°C and rainfall, approximately, 750mm per year.
about the harvest: Average Yield: 3.6 tons/ha (24 hl/ha)

Harvest Details: All grapes were harvested by hand in cool early morning temperatures. The grapes were harvested in three batches, in mid-March. This was carried out in order to complexify the wines profile.

The earlier picking was done to capture the perfumed green fruit profile and the later portion to ensure complexity on the palate.
in the cellar : These batches of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon grapes are harvested early in the morning and then destemmed and crushed at cold temperatures using dry ice to prevent oxidation of the must and to preserve flavours and aromas. The must then undergoes a period of skin contact of 4 hours at 10°C to capture some concentration from the skins. The skins are pressed lightly and the juice left to settle for a period of 48 hours at 5°C. The Sauvignon is fermented in stainless steel tanks and is maintained at temperatures between 11 - 13°C until the wine is dry. The Semillon fermented in small French Oak barrels and blended into the Sauvignon after 2 months maturation. After careful blending, the wine underwent a further 6-month period of maturation on the fermentation lees in tank, in order to further develop complexity and character on the nose and palate.

Production: 1728 cases of 6 x 750ml bottles
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OTHER VINTAGES

La Vierge ORIGINAL Sin Sauvignon Blanc 2011
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La Vierge Original Sin Sauvignon Blanc 2010
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La Vierge Original Sin Sauvignon Blanc 2009
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