A sumptuous red wine where deft, grace and poise meet a brooding, dark-fruited power. The result is a refined, charming red wine with a dense floral perfume and displaying flavours of red-currant, plum and fig-paste, with an evocative edge of spice and forest-floor.

Grapes are sourced from two distinctly different Cape regions, namely Piekenierskloof (80%) and Darling (20%),

The wine was aged in a combination of clay amphorae and old oak barrels.

Grenache Blanc grapes showing layers of white fruit wrapped around a firm core of minerality. This Grenache Blanc exudes notes of citrus, hay and quince with a life-affirming maritime salinity. Persistent and intriguing on the palate, this white wine offers a multitude of flavours and textured nuances.

The grapes came from vineyards in Piekenierskloof near Citrusdal.

Fermented in concrete eggs and then aged for nine months in the same vessels.

Rose petal, lavender, and cherries on the nose with hints of crushed, dried herbs. The palate shows pure, juicy fruit and a velvety texture balanced by zippy acidity, and a spicy dry grip of tannins on the long finish.

The grapes for Project Z Grenache 2022 were sourced from an old bush-vine vineyard in the cool-climate region of Darling on the Cape West Coast. Growing untamed and unbridled in sandy soils and subjected to the maritime airflow off the Atlantic Ocean, the vineyard was selected for its ability to grow grapes offering a superior expression of the site’s unique geography.

Fermentation was carried out in stainless-steel tanks where a portion of the fruit was kept whole bunch and added into the bottom of the tank, with whole, destemmed berries on top. After fermentation, the wine spent a further 9 months maturing in an Italian terracotta amphorae. This captures the essence of this unique vineyard in a red wine of singular personality exuding freshness, focus and texture.

This is a very fragrant and delicate wine but with amazing concentration and depth of flavour. A bouquet of fresh strawberries, dried rose petal and dried herbs gives way to a dancing palate with zippy acidity and flavours of wild bramble with hints of all-spice that are perfectly balanced with a fine and supple tannin structure. A delicious wine that can be enjoyed with a variety of foods, for the adventurous serve lightly chilled with salmon or simply enjoy with a variety of charcuterie.

The grapes for this wine were sourced from an old vineyard in Darling in the Swartland area, as well as from Piekenierskloof, both areas exceptionally well-suited for the growing of premium quality Grenache. The run-up to the season was characterized by a warm and dry winter and spring, resulting in drier than usual soil conditions at the onset of the growing season. This resulted in earlier bud-break and flowering, and as such also promising an earlier than usual harvest. Grapes were harvested by hand in the early morning and arrived at the winery looking healthy and promising.

When vinifying Grenache, a light touch is imperative. The grapes were destemmed, and the whole berries were added on top of a bed of whole bunches. This 20% whole bunch contributes to the generous red berry aromas in the wine. Fermentation took place over 2 weeks with only 2 pump overs per day to achieve the perfect balance of the delicate flavours and soft tannin structure of Grenache. Only the “free-run” wine was transferred to a combination of 3rd fill French oak barrels and terracotta Amphorae for 8 month’s maturation on the lees.