Tasting Notes

Nkonzo Wildlife, in collaboration with Seven Springs Vineyards and WineCompany, is proud to announce the launch of a ground-breaking fundraising Southern white rhinoceros conservation wine label, part of the Seven Springs Art Series.

Proceeds from every bottle sold will be dedicated to the Nkonzo Wildlife Rhino Research Project, marking a significant step towards the preservation of these magnificent creatures.

These gentle giants are teetering on the brink of extinction due to the insatiable demand for their horns on the illegal black market. The rhino crisis is not only a national issue but a global catastrophe, demanding our immediate attention and collective action.

This vintage is marked by aromas of red-berry fruit, strawberries and red currents with hints of dried herbs on the nose. The palate complex, rich and balanced showing restrained textures. The tannins are round and soft yet firm giving the palate great length and structure. A slightly lighter style than the 2016 vintage, which has benefitted from time in bottle.

Technical Analysis

Alcohol: 13.36% Residual Sugar: 3.5g/l Total Acidity: 5.0 g/l pH: 3.72 Production: 11,800 bottles (750ml)
Harvested: By hand 26th – 28th January 2018 Ageing potential: 8-12 years

Harvest Report

All together a tough vintage, a compressed vintage where early ripening varieties and mid-season varieties ripened at the same time. We started vintage on the 26^th of January and was done picking by the 4^th of March. With the threat of drought but hot days a reality South African yields were down and will continue to decline. Luckily for Seven Springs we have springs in the mountains, but not much could be done for those incredibly hot days during the ripening season. 2017 also so a massive fire season for South Africa with many vineyards under threat of being burned down and some even sustained real damage. Lucky for us, we had no major fires in the Hemel-en-Aarde region.

Harvesting

As is common practice for Seven Springs the grapes were picked by hand, the harvest stretched over 3 days. The bunches were picked and sorted for the first time in the vineyard, with unripe, rotten or bird-damaged fruit discarded and dropped to the ground. The bunches were then placed into picking crates (each crates weighing up to 20Kgs when full), and transported to the cellar. At the cellar the fruit was de-stemmed and crushed, then pumped into a stainless steel tank.

Vinification

In the tank the fruit underwent a four day cold-soak, the temperature kept at a chilly 10^oC, this allows time for the extraction of tannins and colour from skins and pips. As the temperature then rises fermentation began and when finished the wines continued to rest on the skins. Malolactic fermentation takes place in the older French oak barrels. Bottling took place on 1st February 2018.

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