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OVERVIEW
Following soil analyses and further evaluation of our vineyards, we identified a distinctive split dividing the site, allowing the farm to produce two different styles of wine. Both sites produce wines of excellent quality, but very different in style. The styles are defined in part by the unique circumstances of soil, aspect and altitude. Grapes from these two sites are handled and vinified separately.
Waterkloof and Circumstance wines emphasise restraint, elegance and a strong mineral character due to the vineyards’ exposed position on the upper slopes of the estate (up to 300 metres above sea level).
Although Waterkloof and Circumstance wines are both mostly from similar higher elevation vineyards, Waterkloof wines are specifically selected from those very special single vineyard sites that provide a steely, mineral quality.
Stylistically Circumstance wines, which represent the body of our farm-based production, retain the steely elegance of the Waterkloof Range, but are more expressive in style.
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Peacock Ridge wines are mainly produced from the lower, more protected slopes (between 180-250 metres above sea level). The soils are generally of sandstone origin with medium-sized stones, which aid drainage and moisture retention. Characteristically, the wines are rounder with greater generosity and a more forward style.
While in the process of releasing our estate wines, we realised that we had additional winemaking capacity, and also the necessary infrastructure to make wines of real individuality at a more everyday price using grapes from contracted vineyards. The name False Bay was chosen as the farm actually overlooks this particular bay. It is a cornerstone of the False Bay winemaking philosophy that the vineyard must always, and will always matter. The aim is to highlight the unique characteristics of different vineyard sites. Our winemaking team, led by Waterkloof-based Werner Engelbrecht, is working hard to reveal the characters of particular terroirs that we identified as being most suitable. False Bay wines are wines of character, personality, and quality from some of the best vineyards we identified and contracted. |
