SAxTrail: Our South African Wines Project
The Current Wines
The premise is simple: one red and one white, following low-intervention principles including 100% wild ferments, but with grapes we would never be able to work with in Canada.
Each wine (and blend) is vintage-specific. They are a personal expression rooted in a sense of place.
We thank the crew at The Drift Estate, for hosting us, and working with us to bring this project to life.
Kif, bru. Time to surf.
Vivacious herbal and grassy notes with burnt sugar and kiwi fruit. Broader on the palate than you’d think, with yeast flavours intertwined with starfruit. A solid backbone from the skin fermentation meld with the lighter weight of the Sauvignon Blanc.
Chenin Blanc was harvested from the Roodeberg vineyard in the Breedekloof wine region. Fermented on the skins for 10 days before pressing in a basket press. Sauvignon blanc was pressed whole cluster and blended with the already dry Chenin Blanc. Put to neutral barrels to finish fermentation and complete malolactic fermentation.
Vineyards: Roodeberg Vineyard + Black Oyster Catcher
55% Chenin Blanc, 45% Sauvignon Blanc
11.5% alc./vol. / 1.15g/L RS
100% wild fermentation, coarse filtration only
150 cases produced
Sunday braai by the pool with your fam.
Aromas of menthol, cherries and marzipan. A touch of strawberry jam. Light with slight astringency and bitterness and full strawberry on the palate.
Clairette Blanche was hand harvested from the Roodeberg Vineyard in the Breedekloof wine region of South Africa. Vines were planted in 1988. The soils are sand and stone, white rock. Destemmed and fermented with punchdowns twice daily. Pressed in a basket press after 9 days. Pinotage was fermented using carbonic maceration. Pressed Clairette Blanche was put ontop of the grapes to get fermentation started. The pinotage was pressed after 8 days fermenting. Put to neutral barrel to age for a few months.
Vineyards: Silkbush Vineyard + Roodeberg Vineyard
55% Pinotage, 45% Clairette Blanche
12.5% alc./vol. / 1.5g/L RS
100% wild fermentation, coarse filtration only
160 cases produced