The Word Collection :

Aquiver

Pandiculation

Susurrous

Bombinate

Aquiver a-kwi-ver : trembling (with anticipation)

Vintage: 2016 ABV: 13.5% Cultivar: Chenin Blanc (80%), Grenache Blanc (10%), Sauvignon Blanc (10%) Style: Rich ripe, subtly wooded Area of origin: Western Cape Tasting notes: Aromatic layers of apricot, tangy nectarines, and fresh straw on the nose. Prominent melon and lightly toasted almonds on the palate, with well-balanced acidity and a full, round mouth feel. Vineyards: The single block Chenin Blanc vineyard is 1,9 hectares in size and located 200m above sea level, being just over 15 km from False Bay. The Grenache vineyard lies 10 km from the False Bay coastline, and is planted in shale soils. There is a good exposure of slopes to the cooling breezes of False Bay for all three blocks, bringing a zestiness and fruitiness to the Sauvignon Blanc, with the varied slopes, weathered granite and sandstone soils adding the desired complexity. Yields are controlled to between 7 – 8 tons per hectare. Winemaking: Different batches of grapes were harvested by hand in mid-February between 22 and 24 Balling. Grapes were picked into small crates and chilled before destemming and 6 hours skin contact. After settling the Chenin Blanc was inoculated and fermented in tanks. The Grenache was left to ferment naturally on the lees, as was the Sauvignon Blanc. The Chenin Blanc from the tank brings freshness to the wine and the Grenache from barrels adds to the creaminess, complexity and depth of the wine, with the Sauvignon Blanc adding fresh, limey fruit.

Pandiculation pan-dik-yuh-ley-shih-n : lazy stretching (after a sound sleep)

Vintage: 2015 ABV: 14% Cultivar: Shiraz (85%), Grenache Noir (15%) Style: Elegant, Southern Rhone style, prominent red fruit Area of origin: Western Cape Tasting notes: A beautiful bouquet of sweet ripe blackberries, infused with a hint of rich plums, combined with delicate oak notes with subtle lavender spicy aromas, creates a wine with a complex, intriguing nose. Bright garnet red in colour, this full-bodied wine has an elegant juicy creamy entry with soft round tannins and a long lingering finish. Vineyards: Fruit for this blend was carefully selected from two blocks of vineyards in different regions, chosen for their soft ripened fruit and tannins. The Shiraz grapes ripened in deep soils ensuring balanced growth and fruit that ripened at lower sugar levels. The Grenache is a bush vine block, producing smaller bunches with intense flavours. Efficient canopy management practices such as suckering and tipping ensured sufficient sunlight penetrated the canopy. Both parcels of grapes ripened with a natural high acidity and lower Ph level. Winemaking: The grapes were handpicked in late February, very early in the morning, which allowed for the grapes to be delivered cold to the cellar, where they were hand sorted, destemmed and lightly crushed. The two cultivars were vinified separately. Fermentation took place in closed fermenters and was followed by a maceration period of 14 days after primary fermentation. The Shiraz was matured separately in French oak for 18 months. The Grenache is unoaked to preserve its natural fruit character. Malolactic fermentation took place in the barrels.

Susurrous soo-sur-uh-s : soft distant soothing sound (of waves breaking) Vintage: 2016 ABV: 13.5% Cultivar: Chenin Blanc (70%), Grenache Blanc (20%), Sauvignon Blanc (10%) Style: Rich ripe, wooded Area of origin: Western Cape Tasting notes: Highly concentrated yellow fruit flavors are perfectly framed and carried by harmonious ripe acidity. On the palate, concentrated ripe citrus and peach from the Chenin Blanc. Charming layers of apple and lemon curd from the Grenache while the rich Sauvignon Blanc adds depth and complexity. The finish is long, with slight phenolic edges supporting the fruit through the entire length of the wine. Vineyards: Grapes for this premium blend were hand selected form granite soils with elevations 200-400m above sea level. The grapes, from 30+ year old vineyards, have small bunches (approximately 80-100grams) that ripen with a good concentration of fruit. The vineyard’s soils are warm by nature, and reach optimum ripeness at lower sugar levels with a higher acidity and lower Ph level, which creates wines with excellent ageing potential. Winemaking: Different batches of grapes within the vineyard blocks were selected by hand in mid-February between 23 and 25 Balling. Grapes were picked into small crates and immediately chilled. The grapes had extensive skin contact (24 hours) to ensure the best fruit flavours were extracted from the skins and to ensure ageing potential. The Chenin Blanc was then fermented in second and third fill French oak barrels and left on the lees for 14 months before blending. The Grenache fermented in very old 500 litre barrels before blending and bottling.

Bombinate Bom-buh-neyt : rumbling, buzzing (noise of bees stirring) Vintage: 2016 ABV: 14% Cultivar: Shiraz (85%), Grenache Noir (15%) Style: Northern Rhone style, dark fruit flavours Area of origin: Western Cape Tasting notes: An exotic and vibrant wine with an inky core of prunes, blackberries and olive tapenade. This full-bodied wine has a juicy, creamy entry with soft round tannins and a long lingering finish. Textured, composed and elegant. Vineyards: Parcels of selected grapes were picked form high altitude Granite soils, on which the Shiraz and Grenache varietals ripened. The phenolic-ripeness were regularly tested during the ripening process, to ensure optimal ripeness. Winemaking: The Shiraz fruit comes from Stellenbosch, and are dry-land farmed vineyards, ensuring deep-rooted vines. This combination assists with optimal concentration of color, flavor and tannin structure. The Grenache Noir is also sourced from Stellenbosch from sandy soils, the perfect terroir for ripening these grapes. The bunches were carefully selected and picked early in the morning, and then kept separately to ensure that the constancy of the blend always remain. Open top fermenters were used for both wines, with punch down every four hours for the first three days and thereafter every six hours for six days to extract depths of color and flavor, before malolactic fermentation and maturation took place. The wine was matured for 18 months in small French Oak barrels, before the components were blended.          

 

       

The Vinyl Collection :

33 1/3 rpm

45 rpm                          

 

33 1/3 rpm (an LP, long play or album, 10-12 minutes of music per side, 10” or 12” record turning at a speed of 33 1/3 revolutions per minute) Swartland White blend Vintage: 2017 ABV: 13.5% Cultivar: Chenin 40%, Roussanne 40%, Grenache Blanc 10%, Viognier 8%, Verdelho 2% Style: Southern Rhone style, aromatic, textured, layered Area of origin: Western Cape Tasting notes: Layered hints of freshness and floral aromas extend into well-rounded malva savoury peach and fresh pear and pineapple flavours, and a soft, white tannin finish. Vineyards: The grapes are sourced from vineyards in the Piekenierskloof region, with low yields the norm. Each component was picked and handled separately. The vineyards were harvested in late February with the grapes picked early in the morning to preserve flavour. The bunches were de-stalked prior to crushing. Winemaking: After a gentle pressing, the free-run juice settled for two days before being racked, and then the wines were cold fermented in stainless steel tanks. Each element was fermented separately. All the wine was left on fine lees before blending, and minimal cellar interference followed before final bottling.              

     

45 rpm (a single, 3-5 minutes of music per side, 7” record turning at a speed of 45 revolutions per minute)  

Swartland Red blend Vintage: 2016 ABV: 13.0% Cultivar: Grenache 36%, Cinsaut 32%, Mouverdre 26%, Tannat 6% Style: Northern Rhone style, plush, succulent, aromatic Area of origin: Western Cape Tasting notes: Blackberry, sweet dark fruit on the palate with hints of cloves and aniseed. Well balanced with elegant integrated tannins. A smooth, long finish with primary olive and black fruit flavours lingering. Vineyards: The grapes are sourced from Piekenierskloof vineyards with low yields. Harvesting occurred in early March. Each of the components was picked at optimum ripeness allowing the tannin influence to peak before picking commenced. Harvesting occurred in the early morning to preserve freshness and flavour, and the bunches were de-stalked prior to crushing. Winemaking: Low pressure crushing occurred, and fermentation took place on the skins in stainless steel tanks for 10 days with pump overs 3 times a day. Each component was fermented separately and blended afterwards.