Sutherland, Sauvignon Blanc 2024

Description

After establishing Thelema Mountain Vineyards as an iconic Stellenbosch wine estate, proprietor Gyles Webb, embarked on a new project in the early 2000’s to develop a range of small-scale, cool-climate wines.

After searching the Cape for the perfect site, he discovered a small apple orchard in the Elgin Valley, and Sutherland Vineyards was born.

Sutherland Vineyards is situated just 9 km off the Atlantic Ocean with altitudes of 140 to 250m above sea level. Due to this proximity, ideal cool climate conditions are created. The resulting wines are more balanced with great depth and complexity of flavour.

TASTING NOTES
Beautiful purity of limes and ripe gooseberry, with tropical, floral and fine herbal notes. This is cool climate Sauvignon Blanc – vibrant, mineral, elegant, balanced and delicate, with a long, layered and complex finish.

FOOD PAIRING
A nice apéritif with fresh cheeses like chèvre (goat), or with oysters, shellfish and white fish like trout, cod and halibut.

VITICULTURAL PRACTICES
Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc – 316D, 316A, 317A and 7A
Root stock: R99 and R110
Soil type: Bokkeveld Shale
Age of vines: Planted 2003 and 2005
Plant density: 2222 – 2500 vines per hectare
Trellising: Vertical hedge
Pruning: 2-bud spurs every 15cm
Yield: 12 t/ha
Irrigation: Supplementary drip
Vintage: Apart from some warmer days during December and January, we experienced a relatively cool season, ideal for achieving optimal berry and seed ripeness.
Picking date: 16 February – 28 February 2024
Grape sugar: 21.1°B
Acidity: 6.9 g/l
pH at harvest: 3.2

WINEMAKING PRACTICES
Yeasts: Vin 7 & Alchemy 2
Fermentation temp: 14 °C
Method: The grapes were gently de-stemmed, pumped through our mash cooler, (Glycol set at 5°C) to cool the fruit down, receives a dose of pectolytic enzymes as well as
a small amount of SO2 to aid in the juice clarification process, prevent oxidation and spontaneous fermentations. Once the press is full the cycle is started, and the juice is moved to a holding tank. Clarification takes place via floatation in the late afternoon and the juice is moved to its fermentation tanks early the following morning. We inoculate with a commercial yeast strain, the ferment runs at 14°C, to maintain a progressive yet stable fermentation curve. The wines are left on their gross lees for 6 months after which we rack them and add a light fining to clean them up a bit for evaluation and then bottled.

WINE ANAYSIS
Residual Sugar: 2.5 g/l
pH: 3.23
Total acid: 6.5 g/l
Alcohol: 13.5 % by volume

Additional information

A nice apéritif with fresh cheeses like chèvre (goat), or with oysters, shellfish and white fish like trout, cod and halibut.