Our focus shifted from harvest to the cellar as the next phase of winemaking is underway and winter maintenance work starts in the vineyard.
As a Guardian of the grapes, this vintage was one for the books, and a logistical challenge in a good way!! I became a father, magician, scientist, comedian what else?
We become so many characters during harvest, as we try to bring the best out of the grapes from our inner journey. The quality of the fruit was exceptional as always, credit to Pieter. The juice after pressing had so many phenolics and aromas it filled the air in the cellar with tropical notes and as natural fermentation kicked in, it was smooth sailing.
As I am typing in the cellar, I hear the last 2 barrels of Roussanne 2022 vintage still finishing natural fermentation in barrels. This is one of the best vintages I have worked with so far! I learned a lot this season and had to adapt to challenging situations and the ripening of a season I have never seen before in terms of phenolic ripeness.
Looking forward to seeing 2022 in the bottle!
