Rietvallei Special Select Sauvignon Blanc 2008

Rietvallei Special Select Sauvignon Blanc is a full-bodied, complex wine with excellent varietal expression. Lots of work in the vineyard and minimal interference in the cellar allows this wine to express its terroir to the fullest.

Elegant, lively and finely balanced, this Sauvignon Blanc is tightly wound around a core of crisp, flinty and mineral notes. Its vibrancy is amplified with nuances of ripe Cape gooseberry, a touch of capsicum and succulent grapefruit. The sleek mouth-feel, revealing hints of asparagus, culminates in an elegant, crisp and decidedly dry finish.

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variety : Sauvignon Blanc [ 100% Sauvignon Blanc ]

winery : Rietvallei Wine Estate

winemaker : Kobus Burger

wine of origin : Breede River

analysis : alc : 13.99 % vol rs : 5.2 g/l pH : 3.37 ta : 7.0 g/l va : 0.38 g/l so2 : 163 mg/l fso2 : 37 mg/l

type : White style : Dry body : Full taste : Fragrant

pack : Bottle closure : Cork

in the vineyard : This Sauvignon Blanc is exclusively made from a single vineyard called 'Goudmyn' (which translates to 'goldmine'). The vines are planted next to the Breede River in deep alluvial soil.

The selection process for this special cuvee already started with the identification of this specific vineyard and working at it with special care - from pruning right through to harvesting - ensuring a low yield (approximately 8 tons per hectare) and premium quality.

about the harvest: The grapes were picked by hand in two stages, first at 21° B (Brix) and then two weeks later at 23.5° B.

in the cellar : Extreme reductive wine making methods were followed with the extensive use of CO2 in the form of dry ice (CO2 pellets) on the grapes and juice, and CO2 gas on the wine right until bottling. After crushing, only the free-run juice was chosen and after 3 days of settling the clean juice was taken to the fermentation tanks where fermentation was electronically controlled and kept at a constant 14° C. After fermentation, which took about 3 weeks, the wine was left on the fine lees for 3 months during which time it was stirred regularly. The wine was then fined clean (not filtered) and finally bottled in July.

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