The Silk Weaver

Rare steaks, roasted game birds (or wild boar), rich chicken or mushroom dishes.

Jasper Raats is the shareholder, cellar master and managing director of Longridge Wine Estate, as well as partner in Vigneron Consulting, an international consulting business. The consultancy shares valuable knowledge to a select group of clients, particularly focusing on organic and biodynamic viticulture and oenology. In fact, it was through this consulting business that his relationship with Longridge first started. Jasper has established himself as one of the most talented winemakers in South Africa and first gained prominence for wines he created in New Zealand. In 2003, he started working as viticulturist and winemaker at New Zealand’s Clos Henri in the Marlborough region, developing a new vineyard and making wine for French Company, Henri Bourgeois. During this period, he also started Koru Wines, which became one of New Zealand’s top and most expensive wines. His international experience includes working in Burgundy, Pouilly Fume, Sancerre and in Napa and Sonoma under Pierre Seillan, the genial French creator of Vérité Wines.

The soil the vineyard is planted in, is made up of decomposed granite over clay and on the lower south western slopes of the Helderberg Mountain. This vineyard enjoyed the refreshingly cool breezes from False Bay (Atlantic Ocean) during the day and cool night air flowing down the mountain, resulting in even ripening of the berries and good natural acidity. The macro climate is maritime, with cold wet winters and dry, warm summers. The hectare single vineyard vines are meticulously cared for by hand to ensure maximum quality. It is grown on a unique Italian trellising system called “Pergola or Tendone”, typical and traditional in many parts of Italy. The fruit was hand-picked and put into small lug boxes to ensure that perfect and undamaged grapes reached the cellar.

This wine was matured in French oak barrels for 15-16 months and is ready for drinking now but will continue to develop over the next eight years. We recommend decanting the wine prior to serving.

At the winery it was twice selected and sorted to ensure only the best berries made it to the fermentation vessel. Extraction happens by way of pigeage, or by hand punching down the cap of the fermenting grapes into the juice. This is carefully monitored to prevent over-extraction. The wine was fermented naturally or without the use of commercial yeast, no fining agents, and no filtration.