This is a 100% Sauvignon Blanc wine, made from the seventh production of grapes from one vineyard in the Walker Bay area close to the town Bot River. The slope faces south-west and lies about ten kilometres from the Indian Ocean.
The season was preceded by a cold and wet winter, which is a positive factor. However, these conditions continued during September, causing early varietals such as Sauvignon Blanc to bud unevenly, resulting in smaller bunches. Rain during budding also caused weaker berry density and the resultant lighter bunches. These factors and the fact that only very limited rain was received during summer, caused a reduction of up to 30% in the harvest volume of Sauvignon Blanc. The average minimum and maximum temperatures from November until February were lower than the long-term average. This delayed harvesting by up to ten days benefi cial to optimal ripening and fl avour development. Grapes were extremely healthy and for many wine-makers this was the best quality season in ten years.
Plant material is from the clone SB11 grafted on rootstock Richter 99. Plant width is 2,7 x 1,2 metres and the vineyard is trellised and irrigated. The block was planted in 2001 and is organically managed. With medium potential soils, together with strong winds and the elimination of fertilizers, conditions for the vines are very challenging, producing fruit with a good flavour concentration.
The grapes were picked at between 22 to 24 degrees Balling and transported to the La Motte cellar in a refrigerated truck. Bunches were destalked and then coldsoaked for sixteen hours. Fermentation of 30 days in stainless steel tanks was at 11 degrees Celsius. The wine was left on the lees for fi ve months before bottling took place on 14 August 2008. Only 6 000 cases (6 x 750ml) were bottled.
The wine has a pale straw colour with a light green tint. It shows a rich complexity of tropical fruit fl avours such as passion fruit, melon, apples and litchi. There are also fl avour hints of “fynbos”, the natural vegetation on the farm. The palate shows lime and gooseberry, backed by a fi rm structure with refreshing acidity. The fi nish is persistent, with a mineral presence.
Alcohol 13,3% vol
Residual sugar 3,46 g/l
Total acid 6,33 g/l
pH 3,28
