in the vineyard : Beyond the unique character of this wine, at its formative beginning, will be found the influence of the diverse and opposing slopes of Durbanville hills. The grapes for this wine were selected from two distinctly different vineyards. They were picked by hand at optimum ripeness at between 25° and 26° Balling, from mid- to the end of April 1999. These grapes were harvested from a sunny north-facing vineyard of Klein Roosboom, and a south-facing vineyard at Hooge Bergs Vallei.
in the cellar : The must was fermented on the skins for seven days until dry, and kept on the skins for three weeks to allow extended maceration. Fermentation took place in stainless steel Disio tanks from Italy. This cutting-edge technology allows maximum fruit, colour and tannin extraction from the skins through continuous computer-regulated pump-over cycles. The fermenting juice was kept in closed, oxygen-poor tanks, whilst the skins remained fully immersed during the entire fermentation and maceration period. After malolactic fermentation, the wine was matured for 12 months - 75% in new French oak barrels and 25% in second-fill French oak barrels. Only 300-litre barrels were used.
The mulberry-flavoured grapes from the bottom of the valley, inspired maximum effort in the cellar to maintain all the fruit and rich colour. Mixing the fermenting juice and the rich skins every two hours resulted in a wine dubbed “after dinner mints†on the second day of fermentation. The combination of mint and dark chocolate flavours dominated the aroma and palate, until 15 months maturation in 100 percent new French oak revitalized the mulberry and a new cherry flavour.
The subtle extraction of tannin and minimum handling of the skins after three weeks maceration, that followed fermentation, ensured a soft and friendly palate on this dark intense wine. The selection of wood attributed stability of colour and aroma without the addition of too much unwanted wood flavours. The result of absolute focus on expressing the grapes through cutting-edge technology resulted in a truly extrovert wine with its strong personality deeply rooted in the hills of Durbanville.