As a farm we produce Petit Verdot to use as a blending component in our flagship red, Magia. Every few years, this Petit Verdot possess such phenomenally unique characteristics that we bottle it, in limited quantities, and send it out into the world. Harvested from a single block of indulged vines, and matured in French oak barrels for 30 months
Colour: Deep maroon , purple hues
Aroma: Interesting aromas of sweet tobacco and leather with slight undertones under tones of crushed mint
Palate: A well balanced , full palate wine. The wine is characterized by a wild cherry and chocolate mouthfeel with a fullness that is characteristic of warmer climate Petit Verdot. The higher alcohol enhances and carries the full flavour of the wine.
Climate: Mediterranean.
Rainfall: 800ml per annum.
The Vineyards: The vineyards are situated in Paarl. This specific vineyard experiences a warm climate with good sun exposure.
Soil: The soil is clay and sand; it is red in colour. It shows good water retention and the vines experience very little stress throughout the year. This reduced level of stress supports slow ripening and results in great overall grape (and later wine) flavour. The soil is carefully monitored, through use of a neutron meter, and it is supplemented (by drip irrigation) only when necessary.
Vinification/Maturing: The Petit Verdot grapes for this wine were picked at 25°B. They were destemmed and hand sorted before being lightly crushed and transferred to an 5000L open plastic fermentation tank. Cold soaking took place for 96 hour to enhance colour and structure development before being inoculated with a selected Bordeaux variety yeast. During fermentation the wine was actively punched down and pumped over every 4 hours until dry. The wines were allowed to be left on their skins as a post fermentation maceration period. This is too facilitate any polymerization that needs to occur between the natural colour and tannin and aids in softening the wine. After 2 weeks , the free run wine is drained and the skins lightly pressed to gain the mid fraction of press juice, which is added back to the free run. The wines are transferred to barrel for malo – lactic fermentation and matured for a further 30 months in French oak.
