With the 2024 harvest well underway, we checked up with our winemaker, Erni Leicht, to get an update on the present situation.
“Harvest began with a bang! Although the yields of the 2024 harvest is substantially lower than normal, the quality, however, is superb, with all of the whites producing grapes with reasonable berry size, low pH, and high acidity levels. We can expect beautiful white wines from the 2024 vintage. I’m pleased by the fruit-driven characteristics of these wines, particularly the Sauvignon Blanc, which has concentrated tropical fruit aromas.
Winemaker Erni Leicht inspecting the vineyards
On the red side, we began with Pinotage as usual, and, same as with the white varieties, the yields are lower. The berries are rather tiny, with an intense flavour concentration and a satisfactory pulp-to-skin ratio, resulting in excellent colour extraction. We next proceeded on to the Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Shiraz vineyards. My assessment is that we still have another two weeks of harvesting to go while we wait for the last blocks of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, and older Shiraz vines to ripen properly.
The composition of our Blanc de Noir will most likely vary this vintage. While Pinotage has previously dominated the blend, we have more free-run juice this year from the Cinsaut and Grenache Noir grapes, which will make up the majority of the final blend and result in a rosé-style, rather than a Blanc de Noir-style.
We are waiting for the final few tanks of white wines to ferment dry before we begin racking and preparing them for bottling. The 2024 Chenin Blanc will be bottled during the first week of April.
This year’s harvest has produced some intriguing wines, and we can’t wait to share them with you.”
A harvest time favourite – freshly baked “mosbolletjies” and a glass of cold Chenin Blanc!