Cape of Good Hope Laing Groendruif Semillon 2022

Bright pale yellow with green tinge. Clean and refreshing aromas of grapefruit, lemon rind and lime on the nose, with hints of pear, fennel and green pepper. The palate is delicate and refined, with flavours of grapefruit, lime and cucumber elegantly supported by a lively, mineral acidity and creamy texture. A beautiful salinity and dry citrus pith linger in a long, lip smacking tail. A complex wine that may be enjoyed now, but will also reward careful cellaring.

The late Henk Laing’s farm, Trekpoort, is situated on the Skurfberg Mountains near Clanwilliam. Laing has a deep understanding of this land, the vines, the weather, the animals and fynbos, having walked these soils during harvest with his father, decades ago. The metre-tall bush vines planted in 1956 have survived 66 years of heat, and despite the scarcity of water, still generate grapes that produce intense, weighty wines with character in spades. The vines are planted in red sand on clay between wheat fields, apricot trees, rooibos tea bushes and fynbos. Its proximity to the ocean, the hot days with cool nights and the age of the bush vines all contribute to ripeness and high natural acidity.

Coarse sand on clay subsoil

Another cold, wet winter resulting in good dormancy and healthy water levels preceded the growing season. Cool, wet weather continued into spring which in turn resulted in delayed but relatively even bud break, flowering and fruit set. Favourable conditions for mildew persisted during the growing season which added pressure to careful canopy management. Cool conditions and rain during the early summer period delayed ripening and ensured that the vineyards were in very good condition as they approached the final stages of ripening, resulting in another late vintage. Healthy canopies facilitated good flavour development and bright, vibrant acidity which resulted in well balanced, age worthy wines of great quality.

Th¬e grapes were transported to the cellar in refrigerated trucks and cooled overnight. Bunches were hand-sorted and whole-bunch pressed the following day and the juice was settled overnight.

60% of the juice was then racked into stainless steel tank, and the remaining 40% into 2nd fill 500L French oak barrels where fermentation occurred spontaneously. The wine spent a final 6 months on the lees without malolactic fermentation before being blended and bottled.