The 2016 vintage was the second year of below average rain fall in Bot River. Due to the dryness and heat, the grapes ripened very quickly and we picked the second week in February with big juicy flavours. As in 2015, we picked both our old block and young block together. Half was fermented in a stainless steel tank and the other half in small, open bin fermenters. A combination of punch downs and pump-overs were used during the fermentation. We added about 10% stalks to the open bin fermenters to give us a little more freshness and complexity.
The tank spent a total of four weeks on skins and then pressed directly to barrel. The open fermenters were pressed immediately after fermentation and also racked directly to barrel. Of the total barrel selection 30% new Oak down to 6th fill with mostly French Oak being used. After 2 years in barrel, we made up the final barrel selection before bottling.
Grapes were sourced from Luddite vineyard sites:
Old & Young Block - picked on the 10th February 2016
Average analysis of fruit at harvest
25.5° Balling, TA – 6.7 g/l, pH – 3.4
Tasting Notes as at 17 October 2019
Appearance: Dark plummy in colour with bright edges.
Nose: Spice, juicy fruit, cinnamon, plummy and a hint of toastiness.
Palate: Bold juicy fruit on entry with a touch of cinnamon. Mid-pallet is broad, rich and dominated by dark fruit. This is all balanced with dry, firm tannins on the finish.
Analysis of the wine
Alcohol: 15.4% pH: 3.5 TA: 5.5 g/l RS: 2.6 g/l
11 800 bottles of this vintage were produced with 515 magnums.
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