Altima Sauvignon Blanc

Oysters, especially with an Asian dressing. Spring vegetables such as asparagus and peas.

This is a range created in recognition of the Cape of Good Hope’s vinous heritage which stretches back more than 350 years when the first Governor of the Cape planted grapes. These unique wines are the result of irreplaceable parcels of old vines and site specific terroirs. The labels reflect the grape variety as well as the origin and singular characters behind them.

Altima Estate is located in Elandskloof, a 5km-wide isolated valley north of Villiersdorp surrounded by a mountain range rising 1km above the valley floor. Because of the overshadowing mountains, the valley receives less direct sunlight, which, combined with the valley’s elevation of 600 to 800 m, results in a distinctly cool continental climate. Table Mountain Sandstone group quartz sandstone is visible against the higher-lying mountains. The farm’s primary soil type is good, decomposed shale soil from the Malmesbury group. This unique terroir results in fruit with high natural acidity and low pH levels, which contribute to the wine’s ageability. The slow ripening period and lack of heat waves in January and February produce excellent grapes with great structure and upfront aromas, and harvest is typically much later than in other Western Cape sites. The preceding winter in the Western Cape was one of the wettest on record, marked by disastrous flooding and damaging winds in September, which resulted in smaller yields in the coastal regions. The hot and dry conditions that followed during the growing season led to an unusually early and frantic start to a fast-paced vintage, but also resulted in excellent flavour development and concentration in the fruit, which retained its naturally high levels of acidity. Overall, it was a very high-quality vintage that promises to deliver some outstanding wines.

The wine spent 3 to 5 months on its fine lees, developing texture and mouthfeel, before being blended and bottled.

Hand-harvested at optimum ripeness, the fruit was de-stemmed and crushed, followed by 4 to 16 hours of skin contact. The free-run juice settled for 2 to 6 days before being racked into stainless steel tanks for cool fermentation.