• Colour

  White

• Vintage

  2008

• Producer

  Newton Johnson

• Country

  SOUTH AFRICA

• Region

  WALKER BAY

• Alcohol

  12.84%

• Product code

  13NEW9B2008

• Availability

  1 case

• Grape Variety

  80% Sauvignon blanc, 20% Semillon

Tasting Notes

Vinification Details.

All the fruit is harvested by hand and picked in to large-surface area 13kg volume crates. The morning's harvest is cooled down overnight to 8 ºC in the winery's grape refrigeration room. The grape bunches are sorted on a conveyor, destemmed and crushed in to a tank where, after a couple of hours, the juice is allowed to drain in to a settling tank. All transfers of grape must are attained with the use of gravity, pumps are totally avoided, except where the juice is pressed off the skins and until final blending of the wine before bottling. They believe the mechanical action of a pump may damage the structure and adversely affect the flavours of the wine. The juice is then left to settle clear for 72 hours at 2 ºC. This clear juice is racked over in to another stainless steel tank where a 16 to 20 day fermentation is induced, maintained at a temperature of about 12 ºC, until the wine is dry. 20% of the blend includes Semillon that has been fermented by natural yeasts and matured for 3 months in new Burgundy oak barriques (228L barrels). Batonnage (lees stirring) is fortnightly applied to the wine during maturation.

Producer Information

Newton Johnson Vineyards is owned and managed by the Newton Johnson family. They are based near the seaside town of Hermanus, an hour and a half's drive out of Cape Town. This is a popular tourist destination, famous for some of the most spectacular land-based whale watching in the world and also known for its bracing 'champagne' air, lush indigenous 'fynbos' (literally 'fine bush,' a Plant Kingdom exclusive to the Cape), mountain walks and bike trails. Their farm lies a close six kilometres from the Atlantic Ocean in the scenic Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, a bit of "heaven on earth" as the name implies. This cool climate appellation is recognised as home to some of the Cape's finest Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Dave, a Cape Wine Master, has over 30 years' experience in the South African wine industry. He is ably assisted by his equally wine and food-focused wife, Felicity Newton. Her sons are Gordon and Bevan. Gordon, the winemaker, crafts the wines to translate the message of the soils into the wine. Bevan is the managing director and in charge of the marketing. His creative wife Ezanne is a freelance graphic artist with experience in the wine industry, and she adds flair to the promotional material. Come harvest time, you'll find the whole family working together in the cellar.