VINEYARDS
Our winemaker, Werner Engelbrecht, before joining False Bay Vineyards in 2004, worked extensively as a viticulturist & winemaker in the greater Robertson Area. It took him two years to convince the rest of us, but now we stand corrected. We agree that it is not only that the cooler coastal areas deliver, but if you plant the right clone in the right spot and restrict yield, then Chardonnay starts to become something totally different. Apart from those instantly seductive typical lemony, creamy flavours that it normally develops, we have found a pronounced minerality (for us the holy grail of truly fine wines), from some vineyards in the Robertson area. In our experience the practice of leaving white wines on the lees for an extended period, is also complemented if the wine had some degree of flintiness. Wines crafted in this manner will eventually exhibit oatmeal cookie dough yeastiness, without the added complexity overshadowing the pure fruit.
It was not easy to identify these vineyards, in selecting them we had to differentiate between the impact of origin, rather than winemaking technique itself. It seemed to us the more hostile and unforgiving the terroir was, the more the minerality shone through. These soils seemed to have another
thing in common, being high in lime, similar to the soils of Burgundy & Sancerre. We appreciated that we needed to have some concentration in the wines and on the whole we found that vineyards on the clay banks of the rivers criss-crossing the area, provided this element. The resulting blend
gave us wines with enough structure and body, but still with a very recognisable mineral core.
THE 2009 GROWING SEASON
The Winelands stayed in the grip of winter well into September of 2008. Very good rains during the winter ensured that the soil retained enough moisture to sustain the vines through the long growing season. Together with cool weather during spring, it caused the vineyards to ripen the grapes later than normal. Cultivars that ripen early to mid season were 2 to 3 weeks later than in normal years. The long, cool growing season ensured that grapes had a high natural acidity and lots of flavour. Late ripening varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon ripened on time. The result was a short and very intense harvest which lasted for about 5 weeks
WINEMAKING
Hand-harvesting was done only in the early morning. De-stemming took place and the juice separated from skins using a bag press. Settling took place overnight at a temperature of approximately 12 degrees Celsius. The clear juice was innoculated and fermented for almost 4 weeks at a temperature of 16 to 18 degrees Celsius. After fermentation was complete, it was left on the primary lees for another month in order to add more weight and complexity to the wine. It was sulphered and will age on the fine lees until bottling.
TASTING NOTES
Rich aromas of lime, mingled with peach. Nicely balanced with a degree of minerality at the core. Serve with roast chicken, pasta and creamy sauce or grilled tiger prawns.
ANALYSIS
Alc.: 13.5%
TA: 6.27 g/L
pH: 3.56
RS: 4.53 g/l
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