Pinot Noir

This Pinot Noir pairs excellently with dishes such as roasted duck, grilled salmon, mushroom risotto, and soft cheeses like Brie or Camembert.

The heart of our conviction is simple yet deliberate. Trust the Site. 20 years ago, Peter Clarke founded the farm up in the cool heights of the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge. Here, in a natural and beautiful ampitheatre, he chose the purity of planting dryland vineyards on virgin soils. Each block is exposed to unique aspects of soil and climate, rewarding us with layered and complex fruit that provides the foundation for our wines that are unveiled in our cellar to reveal their full expression of terroir and vintage.

The vineyard descends along a hillside, transitioning from an easterly-facing aspect to a northeast-facing slope. This slightly cooler profile enhances the development of darker fruit tones and spicier aromatics. The tannins remain fine and subtle, contributing to the wines overall elegance, The high clay content int he soil lends itself to wines with bright acidity and a more pronounces mineral character. The 2023 Pinot Noir vintage saw a generous yield, marking a 8.95% increase over the long-term average. The season recorded an average rainfall of 788mm, with 43% (341mm) occurring during the wet growing period. One notable challenge was a two-week heatwave in January, which accelerated the ripening process.

It then aged for 11 months in a mix of second-and third-fill barrels. After barrel aging, the wine was transferred to a stainless steel tank, where it rested for an additional six months to allow for homogenisation. Finally, the wine was carefully filtered and bottled, ensuring balance and purity in the final expression.

This Pinot Noir clone was carefully destemmed into stainless steel fermenters, with 20% left as whole bunches to enhance complexity. The must underwent a three-day cold soak before spontaneous fermentation began, lasting approximately 10 days. During this time, the fermenting myst was gently pumped over the grape skins twice daily. Following fermentation, the wine remained on the skins for an additional 4-5 days to develop structure and depth before being pressed off into barrels for maturation.