A.A. BADENHORST Raaigras Grenache 2021

They say this is the oldest Grenache vineyard in South Africa and its 12 long rows can be found on Kalmoesfontein farm. The vineyard has an energy and presence about it. The vines are magnificent and low bearing. The soils are beautifully reflected in the wine with a grainy, grippy tannins.

This single vineyard was planted in 1952 on decomposed granite soils. The vineyard has southeast exposition and is 0.86 ha in extent.

The grapes are sorted meticulously in the vineyard and transported in small picking boxes to a refrigerated room where they are left overnight to cool. The bunches are destemmed and fermented in a conical concrete tank while being pumped over once daily. When fermentation is almost completed, the vat is pressed and the must is moved to 500L vats for 12 months. This wine was racked just before bottling without any filtration.

3738