Harmony between the terroir and the art of winemaking must occur for a sparkling wine to be classified as a Cuvée. The grapes that make up the canvas of flavours needed for a final base wine are sourced from parcels across the Western Cape. The grapes were hand-picked at first light, and transported in refrigerated trucks to cool rooms at our Franschhoek cellar, where their core temperature is reduced to 5°C.
With minimal pressure at pressing, only the first juice is used in the Vintage Cuvée. This gentle free run juice is fermented in stainless-steel tanks, and a small fraction in third to fourth fill French oak barrels. Every batch is kept separate to ensure terroir specificity. Minimal lees contact is given and malolactic is prevented during winemaking to preserve fruit purity and linear structure.
During blending, the winemaker uses different components of base wines to portray a final blend of finesse and refined structure, with excellent ageability. In our cool, dark underground cellars, the Vintage Cuvée is aged on the secondary fermentation lees and left undisturbed for a minimum of seven years. During ageing, the yeast hulls start to dissolve and impart typical yeasty flavours to the wine, increasing the complexity and richness.
Limited releases and constant monitoring ensure that the perfect dosage is given before the wine is closed with a cork and wire cage.