Ian Naude Grenache 2019

CLIMATE / SEASON

Crops were one of the smallest ever due to the ongoing drought. Severe weather fluctuations during bud break and flowering, contributed to an already challenging season. The positive was, despite a small crop, an increase in quality of the fruit. (Winter of 2019 received high rainfall however vineyards and soils will still take some time to recover from the severe drought.)

WINEMAKING & VINIFICATION

For many years I worked with Bordeaux style varietals, until Rosa Kruger found his amazing vineyard of Grenache from Agter Paardeberg. After only one vintage (2014) with this block, I lost it until 2019. I was excited to put my hands on this Grenache again and just like the 2014-vintage, my main intention was to move away from those typical heavy/fruit/barnyard style Grenache. Many visits to the vineyard and picking at the ripeness that would make a lighter Grenache-style of wine, and fermenting it with minimal interference, this wine took a life of its own. I placed it in small French Oak Barrels, and went through all various stages.

• Picked in small crates and left overnight in cold room to bring temperature down to roughly 10 degrees Celsius.
• The challenge is to interpret the current vintage conditions in order to balance whole bunch, destemming of grapes and adding stalks (tannins).
• A combination of whole bunch, destemmed grapes and stalks go into a stainless steel tank and left until natural fermentation starts.
• One to two soft pump-overs per day and left roughly for two weeks, pressed and wine transferred into older 225L French oak barrels (minimum oxidation during the process.)
• Barrel aging commences for 12 – 15 months.

AGEING POTENTIAL
Released end of 2020 and because of minimal interference and no additions, except
for a little sulphites, this wine has got the potential to age for 30+ years.

ANALYSIS
Alc. 12% | RS 1.2 g/L | TA 6.1 g/L | pH 3.2 g/L