Colour: Bright gold with a green tint.
Bouquet: A profusion of fresh tropical fruit aromas such as granadilla with citrus notes.
Palate: A multi-dimensional crisp and fresh wine with a minty character and a lingering taste of passion fruit. Well-balanced, full-bodied and complex.
Enjoy this wine slightly chilled on its own, or with white meat dishes, salads, seafood with tartar sauce, and poultry.
variety : Sauvignon Blanc [ 75% Sauvignon Blanc, 25% Semillon ]
winemaker : Elize Coetzee
wine of origin :
analysis : alc : 12.50 % vol rs : 1.78 g/l pH : 3.32 ta : 6.32 g/l
type : White style : Dry body : Full taste : Mineral
pack : Bottle size : 0 closure : Screwcap
in the vineyard : Background
Zonnebloem is a long-established leader in South African winemaking with a history dating back to the late 17th century and a reputation for honouring tradition in the way its wines are made.
The Stellenbosch farm, Kunnenburg, from which Zonnebloem as a separate farm originated, was transferred to Willem van der Merwe in 1692 by Governor Simon van der Stel. After changing hands over several generations, in 1856, the owner at the time, Petrus Jacobus Malherbe divided the farm between his two sons, Daniël Francois Malherbe and Willem Andries Malherbe. Willem named his portion Zonnebloem. In 1893, the farm was bought by the Furter family and over three generations established an award-winning track record on local wine shows and also won several important export contracts.
As in earlier days, nothing is rushed at Zonnebloem and each wine is allowed to take its time, from the growing of the fruit to its vinification to produce generous-bodied flavours rich in varietal expression. Zonnebloem wines are accessibly styled with a soft palate, and in the case of the reds, structured to last five to 10 years.
This wine is made from a blend of Sauvignon blanc (75%) and Sémillon (25%) grapes.
Vineyards (viticulturist: Annelie Viljoen)
The grapes were sourced from low-yielding, trellised vineyards in the Darling area with 25% hailing from Stellenbosch. The Darling vineyards are grown on south to south-westerly facing slopes in deep rich soils. The unirrigated vines grow under dryland conditions. The yield varied between 2 and 5 tons per hectare for the older vines and up to 7 tons per hectare for the younger vines.
in the cellar : The different vineyards were separately vinified and fermented. Fermentation took place in stainless steel tanks at temperatures ranging between 12° and 14°C, depending on the yeast strain used.