While the recent harvest was by all accounts a challenging one for most South African wine producers, we take a deep sense of gratitude and optimism from Vintage 2024, which delivered good yields and excellent quality.
The harvest started about a week earlier than normal on 19 January with Chardonnay. The quality of the fruit was incredible, and we picked 6 tonnes compared to 1.2 tonnes from this young block in the previous year. Another highlight was the increase in volume from our rosé and Vermentino vineyards, while the quality has also been absolutely stellar.
We had ample sunshine during ripening season, meaning that the phenolic ripeness of the red varieties were exceptional. The vineyards were closely monitored for signs of stress during prolonged hot and dry periods. Superb extraction was achieved in the winery and the red wines are already showing great promise. Right now, all the wines are developing in the barrels and integrating with their oak. We are very pleased with the season, and the quality looks like the best yet.