| Winemaker |
Anthony de Jager |
| Winemakers Approach |
2009 was a very good vintage in general, with a medium sized crop on the vines and good concentration and flavour. The wines from the vintage show lovely rich fruit flavours and supple tannins. My first impression is that this promises to an excellent wine. |
| The Vintage |
This wine was a world first from Fairview. Pinotage and Viognier are co-fermented, in much the same way that Shiraz is treated in the south of France. This softens the Pinotage and elevates the fruit, while adding a subtle fragrance to this approachable and generous wine. |
| The Vineyard |
Pinotage was predominantly harvested from bush vines, some of which were up to 25 years old. This fruit was supplemented by a small amount from a younger, trellised vineyard at Fairview. The vineyards are from three sites; Malmesbury and Agter-Paarl, which are dry farmed vineyards on deep shale soils, and Fairview in more sandy, duplex soils. Viognier grows on the gentle slopes at the base of Paarl mountain on granite soils as well as at some new sites in Agter-Paarl (Primo vineyards -Glenrosa soil type). |
| The Winemaking |
The Pinotage and Viognier were harvested, destalked and crushed into stainless steel fermentation tanks. The juice and skins were left for two days to cold soak before fermentation. The two varietals were co-fermented at between 22°C and 27°C and three pump overs were done per day. After fermentation the wine was pressed off the skins and malolactic fermentation was completed in stainless steel tanks. After this was completed, the wine spent a further eight months in a combination of used French and American oak barrels. No new wood was used. |
| Analysis |
|
| Alcohol |
14.2% |
| Residual Sugar |
1.7 g/l |
| Acidity |
5.1 g/l |
| pH |
3.61 |
