Description
Five centuries ago the ancient mariners braved uncharted seas to round the Cape of Good Hope in search of exotic spices. Their nerve and dash inspire the Spice Route philosophy. We have found our signature wine style in the rolling hills along the Cape’s West Coast, where unirrigated vines produce grapes with small thick skinned berries – ripe fruit that is dense, rich and full flavoured. A passionate dedication to exceptional quality and traditional hand crafting captures the essence of this fruit in the wines of the Spice Route.
IN THE VINEYARD
Planted in 2001, these unirrigated bush vines are rooted in rich Koffieklip and Oakleaf soils, producing an average yield of 3.5 tons per hectare. This vineyard is farmed organically.
HARVEST DATE
14 March 2023
WINEMAKING
Grapes were hand harvested at 22.5 Balling. The grapes were destalked and lightly crushed into open concrete fermenters (kuipe). Manual punch downs were done regularly during fermentation. Fermentation lasted 7 days, after which the wine was pressed off the skins and transferred to seasoned French and American barrels.
WINEMAKER’S COMMENTS
“With a slightly below average winter rainfall, we had to pick the vineyard a few days earlier than usual. This resulted in a fresher, fruitier style – Enjoy!” – Charl du Plessis
