West Coast Sauvignon Blanc

The food and wine culture is marked by simple preparation of quality ingredients, with generosity in spades. Fresh fish or shellfish on the braai sings in the company of West Coast Sauvignon Blanc by Neil Ellis. The bright acidity and ripe fruit flavours also complement crunchy summer salads and cheesy vegetable dishes.

In 1984 Neil Ellis sourced grapes from vineyards not of his own and produced wine in rented cellar space. These grapes were sourced in the Stellenbosch district and meant a lot of nosing around the restrictive quota system prevalent at the time. His vision the pursuit of quality extended out of the cellar and into the vineyards where varieties would excel and best express a particular style of wine reflective of their environment. Today the experience and knowledge of the past are applied to modern techniques and technologies for a new generation of winemaking. “Our vision remains to make distinctive refined wines that are expressive of their terrain and rank amongst South Africa’s finest. A pursuit of quality nothing less.” Neil Ellis

Bush vines grown on the rolling hills of Groenekloof farm near Darling yield the distinctive fruit used to make this Sauvignon Blanc. The terroir is marked by the cooling effect of the Benguela Current and the ever-present south-east wind, while a moody morning mist leaves the most delicate imprint of salinity on the grapes. These conditions are perfect for slow, gentle ripening and create the ideal balance between fruit flavours and freshness.

High-tech cellar equipment and attention to detail complement the meticulous care the grapes receive in the vineyard. After a careful selection process at the cellar, crushing takes place and the juice is fermented with neutral yeasts at cool fermentation temperatures to allow for a beautiful mouthfeel and persistence. The wine spends extended time on its lees to create texture and viscosity. This results in a Sauvignon Blanc that drinks beautifully while young yet is able to mature and even with age, leave a lasting impression like West Coast memories.