Lismore Estate Pinot Noir Cape South Coast 2021

70% of the grapes came from Stanford, Walker Bay and 30% from Elgin, both in the cool climate region Cape South Coast. The vines are all Burgundian, clone 115. The Stanford vineyard is close to the southernmost tip of Africa and is located in one of South Africa’s coolest wine producing regions. The maritime vineyard enjoys a long ripening season, because of the strong cooling winds that are prevalent in the summer. This microclimate is ideal for creating a long hang time, concentrating the flavours in the berries, while retaining natural acidity levels. Elgin is situated at 400 metres above sea level and ripens even later then the coastal vineyard. The vines here, planted in shale and clay soils, produce fleshier fruit, adding weight to the blend.

Harvest took place when the fruit had reached optimal maturity and it was carefully sorted. 30% of the grapes were left as whole bunches. Fermentation took place in 5,000 litre vats with gentle pump-overs twice per day; a long extraction period imparted the pure fruit expression and structure to this wine. The free-run wine was drained off and the fermented grapes were then pressed in a traditional wooden basket press. It was racked into 225, 300 and 500 litre barrels where malolactic fermentation took place and the wine was aged for 10 months. 35% new French oak was used.