| WINE | The Winery of Good Hope | ||||||||
| VARIETAL | Pinot Noir | ||||||||
| VINTAGE | 2008 | ||||||||
| APPELLATION | Stellenbosch & Elgin | ||||||||
| ANALYSIS |
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| PRODUCTION | 490 (12 x 750ml.) cases |
VINEYARDS & HARVEST
Several parcels over two individual vineyard sites are used in producing this wine. The first at altitude on the cooler mountain slopes of Elgin, the second on the ocean-facing hilltop of Faure, in the Stellenbosch-Helderberg Appellation, facing directly into the False Bay Atlantic breezes. The vines are all Dijon clones and density, trellising and canopy management conducted in such a manner that the more subtle characters of Pinot could be best expressed. Green harvest thinning was carried-out sufficiently early in the growing cycle, allowing for focused development of a smaller yield (+/- 35hl / ha). Attention was paid to retaining natural acidity, minerality and purity of fruit. After a good, cold winter with heavy rainfall, the 2008 vintage saw excellent, even flowering in the Spring and a cooler than usual early Summer. Being one of the early-ripeners, Pinot is the first of our reds to be picked. Most of this fruit came in before the heatwave in February, with the last block during –which pushed-up sugars somewhat.
VINIFICATION
The challenge we set ourselves with this wine each year is to produce an elegant but juicy Pinot Noir, in what is, relatively-speaking, a Hot Climate (even though certain claim these vineyard areas to be “cool climate”). We wanted to capture the delicacy of Pinot while reflecting the modern viticultural improvements in some of the more fruit-driven Dijon clones (here : 777, 115 & 113). Rigorously hand-sorting the fruit, vinifying tiny parcels in micro-open-top ‘cuvées’(600L oak barrels) with traditional Burgundian methods was our approach. Even with high sugars (and corresponding alcohols), it is possible to make wines with balance & finesse.
A short pre-fermentation cold-soak kicked us off with each of the parcels, which we fermented separately, up to 3 weeks apart, the Elgin fruit being harvested last. Pump-overs and punch-downs were minimal as we sought to retain elegance and not to over-develop structure. Taking the wine off the skins right after completion of fermentation, the free run juice was placed directly into small, mainly 2nd-, 3rd & 4th fill Burgundian barrels, with only a small proportion of new ones. The pressings were matured separately. Interestingly, right through their maturation, each of the vineyard sites shone through their respective wine and gave a particular dominant facet –the Stellenbosch fruit had a more muscular, earthy Pinot character; the Elgin fruit wonderful juicy cherry and strawberry flavours with clean, mineral acidity.
WINEMAKER'S COMMENTS
This is not a Pinot for those who think good red wine needs to be black, oaky and tannic. It is a fragrant, bright Pinot with wonderful succulence and expressive fruitiness. The successful combination of its earthy, mineral & red berry characters make for a really lovely drinking Pinot, at a very reasonable price. Quite an uncommon combination in these parts for this most magnificent of varieties...