In a small and picturesque wine cellar situated in the Jonkershoek Valley, some of South Afirca's most highly regarded red wines are produced. Here, owner and winemaker Etienne le Riche vinifies his grapes in the traditional method of open-tank fermentation, manual plunging, and with the gneral philosophy of minimal interference.
Regularly accorded four and five star ratings in John Platter, he has carved a reputation for his wines both locally and abroad. Acclaimed as the master of Cabernet Sauvignon, Etienne crafts only red wines and in a style that combines old world elegance with new world fruit. Production is limited.
Approximately 60 tons of grapes are processed, of which 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot and 5% Chardonnay. The relatively small size of the estate allows him to follow every step of the process personally. It also helps to focus and to be acknowledged as someone who specialises in Cabernet Sauvignon.
The grapes are handsorted, fully de-stemmed and immediately transferred to open tanks to ferment. If necessary, the tanks are covered and be hermetically sealed, but it is preferred to leave the wine to ferment in open tanks. During this process, which takes about five days, the yeast cake is submerged at regular intervals; juice is extracted from the bottom of the vat and sprayed over the yeast cake at the top, activating contact between the husks, yeast cells and juice.
