Description
Tasting Notes
Aroma Profile
This extraordinary wine is elegant, layered and well-balance with fine, structured tannins. The nose offers an array of potpourri notes, following through with intricate nuances of red berries, dark cherries, ending with a lingering dance on the palate.
Terroir
Soil and aspect: Rooted in the oldest vinicultural soil in the world, it is made up of well-draining decomposed granite on the lower western slopes of the Helderberg Mountain. The vineyard enjoys refreshingly cool breezes from False Bay (Atlantic Ocean) during the day and cool air at night flowing down the mountain, resulting in longer ripening of the berries and good natural acidity. The macro climate is maritime, with cold wet winters and sunny warm summers; the Helderberg ward being not only the coolest in the Stellenbosch region, but also the least windy. Vintage conditions, 2017 was an exceptional vintage for us, although dry, we experienced a mild spring and summer with very cool evenings that resulted in early morning dew from the end of January.
Viticulture
The vineyard is a 45-year-old bush vine heritage block. It only produces about 1.3-1.5 tons from 0.87 hectares, less than 10HL/ha. It is further grown naturally, without the use of any pesticides, herbicides or chemical sprays.
Vinification
The bunches were meticulously sorted by hand, before being fermented naturally for 18 – 20 days and hand punched. This wine has matured in 50% new and 50% 2nd fill French oak barrels of the best quality, for +-18 months, with a further 12 months in the bottle. It will continue to improve over the next 15 – 20 years.
Origin
Stellenbosch
Number of bottles produced – 1100
Winemaker –Jasper Raats & Hendrien de Munck
Alc: 13% ; RS: 2.2 g/l ; TA: 5.5 g/l ; pH: 3.59
Awards
95/100 Tim Atkin MW 2019; Best Pinotage Tim Atkin MW 2019; 95/100 Christiaan Eedes 2019
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Click here to download The Maandans Pinotage tasting note
