A full-bodied, elegant and beautifully balanced wine. Floral notes of passionflower, honeysuckle and soft vanilla combine with yellow stone fruit and pear on the palate, underpinned by a distinctive minerality that defines its signature style. The mouthfeel is rounded and creamy, leading to a textured finish — a true expression of this unique cool-climate terroir.
Terroir
Elgin is the coolest wine region in South Africa. Cooler climates allow the grape clusters to remain connected to their roots for longer, developing greater complexity while achieving physiological ripeness more gradually, with lower sugar levels and consequently lower alcohols. The resulting wines offer an impression of delicacy balanced by power and persistence that sets them apart from bolder but shorter-lived warmer-climate examples.
The vineyards sit at 305 m — the fourth-highest elevation in the country — and lie close to the cold Atlantic Ocean. This combination creates marked day/night temperature swings and exposes the site to prevailing south-easterly winds. The South-Easter often brings cooling relief and extensive cloud cover trapped by the surrounding mountains, reducing sunlight and temperatures and slowing ripening. On four to five occasions each year a “Black South-Easter” delivers substantial rainfall. On calmer, warmer days, cool coastal breezes are drawn inland as the land heats and rises, rapidly lowering afternoon and evening temperatures. These influences preserve natural acidity, extend the ripening period on the vine, and produce wines of balance, complexity and lasting flavour.
Viticulture
Growing shoots are tucked between the wires frequently throughout the season, and suckering is carried out twice — in early November and again in January. This Sauvignon Blanc vineyard develops a substantial canopy that provides dappled sunlight in the bunch zone, helping to preserve grape-derived aroma precursors. The wine is made from clones 316 and 317.
Vinification
The wine is naturally fermented in 500 L French oak barrels and given extended lees contact, resulting in complexity, finesse and elegance. Made in an oxidative style, barrel fermentation adds richness and further layers of complexity. Occasional bâtonnage during the extended lees ageing contributes to the rounded mouthfeel and creaminess of this elegantly textured wine. The wine is aged for nine months. Careful selection of the harvest date, combined with barrel fermentation, brings the bracing acidity typical of New World and Elgin Valley Sauvignon Blanc into harmonious balance, creating a full-bodied yet refined wine that remains true to its cool-climate origin.
Food Pairing
Ideal with lemon-herbed chicken, grilled fish with mango salsa, Caprese salad (mozzarella, ripe heirloom tomatoes, extra-virgin olive oil and fresh basil), mushroom and goat’s cheese tart, or seafood pasta.
