| Viticultural Information |
| Cultivar |
Roussanne |
| Soil type |
Deep, rich, decomposed granite |
| Method of trellising |
Two-wire trellis, the first wire 60cm above the ground. |
| Method of pruning |
Cordon trained, with 2 bud spurs. |
| Sugar level at harvest |
24.2 |
| Yield per hectare |
6.2 tons |
| Irrigation regime |
Selective, supplementary, over head irrigation to sustain the vine at an optimal level. |
| Climatic conditions |
Growing season:
Cool, overcast and rainy weather conditions during the induction period in October/November 2008 had an adverse effect on bunch initiation for the 2010 harvest and impacted on this year?s crop. Sufficient winter cold prevailed. The season was characterised by unrelenting strong winds. The summer months were exceptionally dry and windy. Sunburn, wind and heat damage were the seasons challenges.
The harvest:
The overall cool climate during the first part of ripening was beneficial to flavour retention in early cultivars. February and March experienced the usual sporadic heat waves. The heat wave at the beginning of March 2010 which lasted longer than a week will certainly go down in the annals. Due to the smaller crop most blocks could be picked at optimal ripeness. The quality of the grapes that were harvested was excellent. Grapes were healthy with good flavours and analyses. Bunches were generally looser than normal and berries smaller, with an excellent fruit to skin ratio resulting in intense colour and flavour in the red wines. |
| Wood treatment |
Fermented in selected tight grain French oak barrels for 3 months given a weekly batonage. |
| Length of barrel maturation |
3 Months |