Vertiginous Pinot Noir 2022
Exudes elegance and finesse,
an antithesis of its steep, rugged terroir.
100% Pinot Noir made from the rare clone 52.
Tim atkin
94/100
"Tangy, racy and crunchy, it's like a South African Volnay, with savoury tannins, plenty of acidity, fine 50% new oak and cranberry and wild strawberry flavours."
The name Vertiginous originates from the dramatically steep slopes on which the vineyard is located in the heart of the Elgin Valley. The vertigo-inducing angles of these slopes have even led to a few tumbles while walking through the vineyards! The challenging terrain stresses the vines, pushing them to produce smaller, more concentrated clusters of fruit, which contribute to the wine's notable intensity and elegance.
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​Vineyards & Location
The Vertiginous Pinot Noir is sourced from a small parcel of vines sustainably dryland farmed on a steep slope in central Elgin. The soils are gravel over clay, providing moisture retention, which is one of the reasons why it is possible to dryland farm these vines. Clone 52, also known as Freiburg 52-86, produces wines with delicate floral, almost ethereal notes and a light body. Despite its lighter weight, the clone imparts a distinctive tannic structure, offering a balance of elegance and intensity. It is recognised for creating wines with a refined, precise flavour profile that is light in colour but full of presence.
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Winemaking & Maturation​
The grapes are sorted before being placed in open-top fermenters, where 20% whole stems are added. A spontaneous fermentation ensues after a 3-4 day maceration, with daily délestage (rack and return) to clean the juice and enrich the wine's depth. In this process of extraction, the juice is cleaner with fewer pre-reductones, allowing the juice to remain on the skins for up to 21 days, imbuing important secondary metabolites into the wine and building structure. After a basket pressing, the wine is sent to barrels for natural malolactic fermentation. After this, it is not racked (due to the cleaner juice) and remains in Burgundy-coopered French oak à Piece for around 11 months.
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Tasting Notes​
This wine has a mid-ruby, vibrant colour and attractive fragrant cherry blossom, wild strawberries, and a hint of violets, interwoven with subtle notes of camphor, pine forest and spice. A penetrating entry, the palate reveals red cherry and baking spices that unfurl in the mouth. A seamless blend of bright acidity and fine-grained tannin builds structure, culminating in a chalk-edged length. With focus and precision, this delicate wine drives a long, mineral finish. Ready for drinking from 2026 to 2031.
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Alcohol: 13.44% | pH: 3.28 | RS: 1.9 g/l
Ziggurat Chardonnay 2023
chiselled elegance
100% Chardonnay made from Entav clone 548.
Ziggurats are age-old Mesopotamian wonders, with the legendary Tower of Babel standing as the most iconic. It's from the farm nestled beneath the shadow of the towering Babilonstoring mountain peak that our wine draws its name and inspiration.
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​Vineyards & Location
The Ziggurat Chardonnay grapes are sourced from a parcel in the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, planted to Clone 548. Clone 548, also known as the Corton-Charlemagne clone, produces a robust and broad mid-palate characterised by stony-edged mineral acidity, savoury nuances, and meaty elements with a touch of aniseed. Notably, wines made from this clone tend to be long-lived, promising an exceptional ageing potential. The soils that contain the Ziggurat Chardonnay parcel are on 450-million-year-old decomposed Bokkeveld shale-derived soils on stony, clay-rich terrain. These soils give structure and density to the palate, enhancing the CY548 nuances.
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Winemaking & Maturation​
The Ziggurat was whole bunch-pressed and allowed to ferment naturally in the barrels with a minimalist approach in the cellar. There was longer lees contact, 13 months, to give the wine more texture. I didn’t allow it to go through malo to retain chiselled acidity. It is unfined and unfiltered to avoid removing any nuance. As such, it is an elegantly raw, unadulterated wine. Fermented in two 100% new barriques, it matured in the barrels for 12 to 13 months.​
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Tasting Notes​The Hemel-en-Aarde, as a whole, is known for its mid-palate flesh and exceptional fruit intensity. It has prominent ripe orange and tangerine notes enveloped in distinct oaky spices with a floral twist. There's an impressive depth to the mid-palate, supported by a line of horizontal bracing acidity that adds structure, purity and focus. A more linear style, the wine has flavours of peach, lemon, smashed almond and cashew nut. A chiselled elegance characterizes its long finish, and the wine closes with a juicy and impactful impression reminiscent of stewed quince. This wine will be ready for drinking from 2026 until 2031.
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Alcohol: 13.6% | pH: 3.21 | RS: 2.3 g/l