De Wetshof Estate Lesca Chardonnay Robertson Südafrika 2006

TASTING NOTES A classical, lightly structured, steely dry wine with strong lemony, yeasty flavours and a lingering nutty aftertaste. IN THE VINEYARD Climate: Winter rainfall approximately 300 mm per annum. Summer afternoons are fanned by a cool breeze from the Agulhas Coast. Nights are chilly and mist often shrouds the vineyards until late morning during high summer. Soils: The gravelly soils are extremely rich in lime with a very high pH - similar to soils of the leading wine growing regions in the world. Irrigation: The vineyards are scientifically irrigated with the aid of a fully computerised irrigation system. Thanks to the most modern technology, irrigation on De Wetshof has been turned into an asset promoting the quality of the grapes. Rainfall: Robertson is a winter rainfall area with aproximately 300 mm per annum. Pest Control: Due to a very dry climate, spraying is minimal compared to other wine growing regions. Rootstock: Richter 99, 110 and 101-14 Age of the vines: 11-18 years Vines per hectare: 4000 Trellising style: 6 Wire fence system cordon with spur prunning. THE HARVEST The juice for this wine is selected from clones strong in citrus flavour. Tons per hectare yield: 8 Tons IN THE CELLAR The fermentation process takes place in oak barrels at 17-20ºC and after fermentation the wine is left on the lees for a relatively short period to compliment the delicate nature of the wine. 2 months Barrel maturation. Danie de Wet adjusts his methods of winemaking from year to year, according to weather conditions and grape quality, in the belief that wine is made in the vineyard and not in the cellar. Cooper: French oak barrels for De Wetshof are specially selected from specific coopers to enhance the quality of the fruit.