Living soils and a natural approach to winemaking means that the wine crafted from this single windswept block situated 300-320 metres above sea-level and just 2 miles from The Atlantic, transcends sauvignon blanc's usual varietal character. This is a truly fine wine. The vines are 25 years old and production was less than 2 tons per hectare (15-20 tons per hectare is not unusual for sauvignon blanc). Waterkloof follow a traditional, minimalistic approach in their gravitational cellar which means interfering as little as possible with the winemaking process. This allows the flavours prevalent in that specific vineyard to ultimately express themselves in the wine. To achieve this goal, all grapes are whole-bunch pressed, which ensures that juice is extracted in the gentlest way. The juice is then allowed to settle for 24 hours after which it is racked from the settling tank into older 600 liter barrels for a long, natural fermentation with no addition of yeast. All of the juice was fermented in old 600-liter barrels. After a very slow fermentation process of approximately 8 months, followed by an extra month on the primary lees, the wine was racked off in preparation for bottling. An extended alcoholic fermentation ensures that the juice is continuously in contact with the gross lees, adding more complexity and weight to the palate. 6 barrels were made and the wine is released only in exceptional vintages. It is capable of ageing for many years and should be aerated before serving with food.
The nose is nuanced and fleeting with delicate aromas of honey, white flowers, fennel and fresh citrus. Layered and textural with taut acidity and a saline bite balancing the concentrated, lightly honeyed fruit. A richly flavoured, complex wine of restraint and elegance with a steely, mineral core. Best decanted before serving. It's very much not your average Sauvignon, much more textural and complex, but still has good varietal character. Very food friendly too, but loves fish including smoked and shellfish,
