Thelema, Sauvignon Blanc 2024

Description

A family owned and managed wine estate, part of the spectacular Simonsberg Mountain range in Stellenbosch, South Africa. Home to Thelema and Sutherland wines.

TASTING NOTES
Bright and vibrant, this Sauvignon Blanc offers refreshing aromas of melon & grapefruit. The palate is crisp and lively, with zesty citrus and subtle tropical fruit flavours balanced by a mineral edge. The finish is clean and invigorating, showcasing excellent acidity and length.

FOOD PAIRING
As an apertif or with delicately flavoured foods like salads, oysters, scallops and chicken.

VITICULTURAL PRACTICES
Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc – Clones 133 ER, SV 316D, 159C, 11R and 7A
Root stock: R99 and R110
Soil type: Hutton – decomposed granite
Age of vines: Planted 1985, 1993, 1997, 2002 and 2007
Plant density: 2100 to 3200 vines per hectare
Trellising: Perold, vertical hedge
Pruning: 2-bud spurs every 15cm
Yield: 7.0 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 dates: 25 January 2025 – 06 February 2024
Grape sugar: 22.2 – 22.8 °B
Acidity: 7.1 – 9.4 g/l
pH at harvest: 2.9 – 3.0

WINEMAKING PRACTICES
Yeasts: Vin 7 & Alchemy 2
Fermentation temp: 15 °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 flotation 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: 2.8 g/l
pH: 3.12
Total acid: 7.4 g/l
Alcohol: 13.5% ABV

Additional information

As an apertif or with delicately flavoured foods like salads, oysters, scallops and chicken.