Our low-vigour, stony, clay-rich soil, cool maritime mesoclimate, naturally tiny yields of under 35 hl/ha and our philosophy of expressing our terroir in our wines – give rise to a certain tightness, tannin line and elevated length to balance the richness and generosity of our Pinot noir. Our Pinot noir is not overtly fruity, soft and “sweet” and it generally shows hints of that alluring savoury “primal” character along with a dark, spicy, complex primary fruit perfume.
variety : Pinot Noir [ 100% Pinot Noir ]
winemaker : Hannes Storm
wine of origin : Hemel-en-Aarde Valley
analysis : alc : 13.97 % vol rs : 2.76 g/l pH : 3.43 ta : 5.94 g/l
type : Red style : Dry body : Full taste : Mineral wooded
pack : Bottle size : 750ml closure : Cork
in the vineyard : Soil: Low-vigour, stony, clay-rich, shale-derived soil
2013 was a standout vintage with rich, generous, sumptuous wines displaying great depth of fruit and structure. The reds in particular benefited from the 2013 harvest conditions, with dark, complex fruit at moderate alcohol levels. A cold winter was followed by a cold wet spring almost up to flowering, while cool strong Southeasters with some rain during flowering and berry-set contributed to very low yields. In general bud-break was later than usual and for the first time Sauvignon blanc ripened before Pinot noir and Chardonnay. A drier, breezy December and January contributed to healthy disease free ripening. The average of the maximum temperatures for December, January, February and March was, at 25.33 Centigrade, a touch higher than our long-term average of 25 Centigrade – warmer than 2012, 2010 and 2009, but cooler than 2011.