Alvarinho 2022

Chiselled and taut, with upfront aromas of grapefruit and green apple, the low pH provides potential for this wine to age exceptionally well. The palate reveals delicate floral flavours with a hint of warm spice and saline length. The acidity will mellow over time to reveal a generous palate laden with typical Alvarinho aromas of honeysuckle, nectarine, and beeswax.

One of only a hand full of Alvarinho produced in South Africa, the grapes for this wine were sourced from a block in the Devon Valley of Stellenbosch. At 250m above sea-level on a South-Easterly slope, this block is exposed to cooling breezes from the Atlantic Ocean, a mere 20km away. Situated on a particularly iron- and clay rich soil with excellent water retention capacity, this vineyard is well positioned to produce wine of outstanding quality.

The Alvarinho was hand harvested early in the morning and crushed and destemmed immediately after arrival at the winery. Skin contact was given overnight to extract the aromatics Alvarinho is so well known for. Only the free-run juice was drawn off the skins and settled overnight. Thereafter it was transferred to Italian terracotta amphorae for alcoholic fermentation. Upon completion of fermentation, the wine was left on the primary lees to mature in the amphora for a further six months before bottling.