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Lanzerac Sauvignon Blanc 2017 Tasting Notes

Lanzerac Sauvignon Blanc 2017
The Vintage: 2017 vintage wines will be very good. A normal, cold winter with quite good rain followed by a warm but extremely early harvest season. Grapes from 2017 were in great health. The wines from this vintage are complex and full of flavour.

Appellation: Jonkershoek Valley, Stellenbosch.

Viticulture: The Lanzerac Sauvignon Blanc 2017 was sourced from two vineyard blocks in the Jonkershoek Valley. The first block, D12, is situated 450m above sea level and covers an area of 1.92 hectares and is 19 years old. The second block, J11, covers and area of 2.52 hectares and was planted in 2014. The rows in these blocks are running north-south and soils are mainly deep red decomposed granite with clay. The yield for the 2017 vintage was 4.8 tons/hectare. All pruning and harvesting is done by hand to ensure that only healthy and fully ripe grapes reach the cellar.

Harvest Date: The early 2017 harvest resulted in grapes being picked on February 7th. 

Vinification: To protect the grapes against heat, they were picked early in the morning. At the cellar, the grapes were hand sorted before it was crushed and cooled down through a mash cooler at 13-15°C. The crushed grapes were left on the skins for ±6 hours in the press. The skins were then lightly pressed. The juice was pumped under a dry ice blanket into the settling tank and left to settle for 48 hrs. The clean juice was racked off the lees, yeast was added and fermentation took place between 12°C and 14°C for about 10 days. During the whole crushing and pressing process, dry ice was used to form a CO2 blanket to protect the juice against oxidation.

Cellar Master's Comments: Treading a delicate and flavoursome line between oodles of tropical fruit such as guavas and granadillas, and crisp dashes of lemon and lime citrus, this wine is zesty and fresh with plenty of drinkability and appeal. Concentrated fruits are offset by interesting mineral notes of steel and wet stones. Underpinned by just the right amount of lively acidity and finishing with hints of cream and talcum powder perfume.

Cellaring Potential: Drink now or enjoy until 2020.

Food Suggestions: The lively acidity makes this Sauvignon Blanc a fabulous match for a classic goat’s cheese soufflé or the freshest of fresh sushi.