I have fairly simple criteria for deciding when to pick the Chardonnay grapes. While I do take the chemical analysis of a grape sample into account, I will only declare them ready for picking when I can see the seeds through the transparent skins and flesh. We then have to pick the grapes extremely quickly as cunning birds have their eyes on those same seeds to spread through the valley.
While the red grapes started colouring fairly early in December, my feeling is that their time of picking will be fairly normal for the area. The Sauvignon blanc crop is also ripening well at this stage – slightly later than last year.
When planning a season, terroir is king
Our vineyard practices have long been adapted to suit the cooler terroir, made up from the climate, soil, rolling hills, landscape, winds and the presence of two big water masses. As a result of this unique terroir, we have moved away from trellis systems used in many warmer spots where all the shoots are positioned vertically to protect the grapes inside from the abundance of South African sun.
Due to the proximity of the cold waters of Table Bay and False Bay, we are fairly protected against extreme conditions like heat waves, as a buildup of warm air is soon cooled down by cold air drifting in from the ocean. Grapes that are fairly exposed to the sun will produce better wine, with a very low risk of the grapes being scorched by the sun.
Our main objective from October to December is to ensure that we get enough sunlight onto the woody parts of the new shoots to encourage the production of fruitier flavours and colour on the reds, and tropical flavour precursors on the Sauvignon blanc.
What’s in a vintage?
The fixed attributes of our surroundings are utilised to maintain the character, style and consistency of our wines, but each season definitely adds its own personality to the vintage.
All of our 18 previous harvests will be remembered for different characteristics, blessings and toils. The maiden vintage of 1999 is concrete in my mind (pun intended) for the builders, bricks and mortar constantly under my feet, whilst maneuvering grapes through the system in what proved to be an award-winning season. 2000 was warmer than the previous year and taught me that even in cool-climate conditions, there are vintage variations that have to be managed carefully in order to create a constant wine style. Following this was 2002 and 2014, known as the rainy seasons, and 2007 and 2009 still standing out in a lot of people’s minds as the most outstanding Sauvignon blanc vintages.
In preparing for the 2017 vintage, I can already foresee that it will be remembered for the strong presence of the Cape Doctor, the Southeasterly wind that typically blows from spring to late summer. Towards the end of last year and until present, it has been blowing with exceptional consistency and gusto.
These windy conditions probably caused some tourists to avoid the beaches and explore the other attractions in and around the Mother City. We sure had our fair share of visitors stopping by to enjoy the various tastings and treats at the winery during the holiday season.
It is still to be seen what type of personality these winds will add to our 19th vintage preceding the celebration of two decades of winemaking here amongst the hills in 2018..
Dry winters and water restrictions
Last year we experienced our second dry winter in a row, leaving the water resources in the Cape under severe pressure. Since our inception in 1999, we’ve strived to make wine with a minimum impact on the environment, placing emphasis on water conservation, electricity usage and recycling. This is done by carefully examining all of our actions and taking immediate action where we can reduce our footprint. The problem is that, even with a novel idea such as this one, once we get really busy in harvest season the environment may play second fiddle to the winemaking.
In order to ensure that environmental matters remain a strong focus, we subject ourselves to auditing and in 2004 received ISO 14001 accreditation. As this is an international Environmental Management System accreditation I would be lying if I said that the process was easy, but must admit that the benefits are enormous. My team has adapted environmental responsibility as a way of life and we plan, manage and continuously try to improve in order to maintain our accreditation for the sake of our surroundings, rather than to have a certificate on the wall stating that we are the good guys.
We will face new challenges this season as we have decreased our water usage dramatically during the past years and will have to constantly apply our minds to ensure clever usage without compromising cellar hygiene.
Battle of the Bubbles
The first good news of 2017 arrived early this year when we heard that our Durbanville Hills Sparkling Sauvignon blanc claimed the third overall position in The Battle of the Bubbles, an international sparkling wine competition. After the wines were judged by 25 panelists from England and South Africa, the top 15 were announced, originating from South Africa, France, Australia, New Zeeland, England and Germany.
We will kick off the harvest with a few glasses of this award-winning Bubbly before the season of long days and limited sleep begins. We have also created a dynamic night team that will assist in shortening the days by taking over after the last grapes of the day have been crushed. May 2017 be a delightful vintage – we are looking forward to the outcome of all the hard work!