VINEYARDS
The vineyards producing the Peacock Ridge range of wines are cultivated on the lower slopes of our Waterkloof estate. The estate vineyards are planted at a height of between 200 and 290 metres above sea level on the slopes of the Schapenberg in Somerset West. To the south they overlook the broad sweep of False Bay and the southern Atlantic shoreline about 5 kilometres away. The
soils are of sandstone origin with medium sized stones, which aid drainage and moisture retention. All the vineyards on Waterkloof are cultivated under dry land conditions, with supplementary irrigation available in very dry years. The average ages of vines are between 10 and 12 years. Strong south-easterly winds during the growing season help to control growth and naturally limit yields.
THE 2006/07 GROWING SEASON
It was a very typical Cape winter with good rain and low temperatures. Spring was quite cool and summer came early. Early summer rain provided enough moisture to assist the vineyards through a warm spell early in January. As it does every year, the wind caused a natural crop reduction. This resulted in small bunches and berries, giving more concentration and flavour. Intensive vineyard practises were also followed, including a lot of attention to bearer spacing during pruning. Excess shoots were suckered three to four times during the growing season. This ensured that no green harvesting was needed, except for the removal of weak shoots.
WINEMAKING
The grapes showed ripe tropical fruit flavours, including litchi and passion fruit. Due to the close proximity to the sea and the good soils, we could
afford to wait for the full spectrum of flavours to develop before starting to harvest. Grapes were de-stemmed and pressed. The resulting liquid was allowed to settle for 24 hours before the clear juice was racked. Cultivated yeast was used to inoculate the juice. It was fermented at temperatures
of between 16 and 18°C. After fermentation, the wine was left on the primary lees for 20–30 days. This helped to add more complexity and weight to the palate. The wine was then racked and left on the fine lees up to bottling.
TASTING NOTES
This powerful, pure and intense Sauvignon blanc shows a combination of ripe-green and tropical fruit. It is full bodied and shows typical Sauvignon blanc freshness on the palate.
ANALYSIS
Alc: 14.5%
TA: 6.00
pH: 3.30
RS: 1.89
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