We had long desired Grenache on the Helderberg farm, and after much deliberation we finally got our wish from the owners. It’s a young, single vineyard, and this is just our third release from it, and first dressed up as Vinum. We’re encouraged by the progress (as are our nearby peers), and it looks like coastal Stellenbosch will offer up a growing category of Grenache over the next 5-10 years. The fruit for this wine comes from a single vineyard on the Helderberg overlooking the ocean. These bush vines grow in rocky koffie klip with decomposed granite and a deep sub soil of clay. This vineyard benefits greatly from the South Easter sea breeze in summertime, cooling the entire vineyard. With plentiful rain over the winter of 2020 and with higher moisture levels in the soil, strong and even budding, was seen in the spring. It was a long and slow harvest which meant extra hang time for greater phenolic ripeness.

The grapes were all hand-picked at dawn to capture freshness and acidity yet retaining elegance in the flavour expression. The bunches were hand sorted and a combination of whole berry carbonic maceration and partial crushing took place in a 7000L oak fermenter with the skins, using wild yeast only. This technique lifts the fruit and creates intensity, as well as freshness and liveliness. We employed very light extraction, with the focus on creating a lithe, supple texture. This complements the expressive fruit profile, and in doing so retains depth and persistence. The berries were basket pressed to ensure only the purest liquid was extracted. The wine was then matured for 11 months in older (3 to 4-year-old) French oak barrels.