The Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias rounded Cape Point on the 12 March 1488, naming it the “Cape of Storms”. His King, John 11 renamed it “Cape of Good Hope”, the allegorical figure of Hope being used on the first stamps of South Africa. Post House Cellar is the site of the original Post Office for the local missionary station of Raithby, and it still boasts its nostalgic red post box .

WINEMAKING

Method: The grapes were fermented, using natural yeast from the vineyard, in open stainless steel tanks at 28-30 C. Skin contact 14 days. The skins were pushed down 4 – 8 times during peak fermentation. Malolactic fermentation took place in the barrel where the wine had minimal handling; Where possible, traditional gravity flow is used to move the wine during this process. The wines were racked 3 times over a 24-month period. Minimal filtration and the sulphur levels were kept to a minimum.

Wood ageing: Aged 26 months in 30% new 225 litre French and American oak barrels.

TASTING NOTES

A full-bodied wine, dark brick colour with a nose of violets, black cherry, cigar box and chocolate. Firm fresh palette richly layered with plump dark fruit flavours and a smoky finish. Excellent with dark meat, poultry and lean red meats.
Petit Verdot is inky black in colour and has high natural acidity. Being such a bold wine, it is commonly added in less than 10% of most wine blends.

Petit Verdot is inky black in colour and has high natural acidity. Being such a bold wine, it is commonly added in less than 10% of most wine blends.

The name Petit Verdot (‘small green’) refers to one of the main problems with the grape in France from where it originates, and that because it is a late ripener it does not always reach full maturity in the Bordeaux climate. We do not have this problem in our climate and is a stunning wine in its own right.

Alcohol 14.31% vol
Extract 29.7 g/L
Residual sugar 1.1 g/L
Total SO2 88 mg/L
Total acid 5.7 g/L
pH 3.84
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Maturation potential up to 10-12 years