The grapes are fermented in small 1 ton and 1.4 ton open fermenters with very light extraction only once a day for 10 - 14 days. All fermentations are done with whole bunches and both carbonic and semi carbonic methods are used during fermentation. The grapes are pressed to tank before dry and racked 1 - 2 times to get rid of the gross lees. They are then moved into old 400L barrels to complete malolactic fermentation and aging. The wine gets bottled in the same year at the beginning of summer.
The grapes are grown in the Swartland district, more specifically the Paardeberg ward, of the Western Cape in South Africa. The soils are very poor decomposed granite soils with a sandy top layer with an average annual rainfall of 450 - 500mm in the area. All the vineyards are dryland bush vines.
During harvest the grapes were picked early for freshness, natural acidity and lower alcohol levels. No additives are used in the production of L EQUINOX WINES except a small dose of sulphur.
