After a cold winter with higher-than-average rainfall we experienced great growing conditions leading to the 2021 harvest. Spring and summer were cooler with 190 hours more under 10°C than the previous vintage. The moderate day temperatures and cool night temperatures was ideal for the development of flavour and retaining high natural acidities in the grapes. We received 42 mm of rain in the first half of March which created prefect conditions for the development of Botrytis. Riesling grapes with signs of Botrytis development were left to further concentrate the berries. We harvested the Noble rot grapes on the 14th and 15th of April, the analysis was as follows. 40.8 °Brix with a 2.96 pH and total acidity of 11. 5 g/l.

A second stage of bunch and berry sorting occurs at the cellar to ensure that no sour rot is processed with the Botrytis infected grapes. Following skin contact for two days the berries were pressed, and juice settled at 5° Celsius for two days. Fermentation is controlled at 14°-16 ° Celsius over a period of 10 weeks where after the wine was stabilized and filtered.

At the time of harvest, we had 11.55 hectares of Riesling planted on the estate.

The oldest vines were planted in 1987 – the most recent in 2006. The soil is predominantly Bokkeveld Shale with a ‘ferricrete’ top layer (surficial sand and gravel masses) and with underlying clay layers.