2017 Fable Mountain Vineyards “Night Sky” Western Cape, South Africa

The Night Sky is named after the vast and beautiful stars that light up the nights on the isolated farm.

A blend a Syrah, Mourvédre and Grenache the wine is made in a Southern Rhône style. All varieties are grown on the farm and are hand picked into fermentation vessels of either concrete or stainless steel. The ferments are allowed to proceed naturally and are hand plunged as required until they are dry. Once the fermentation is finished the vessels are allowed to undergo post fermentation maceration on the skins. This usually lasts around 8 weeks. They are tasted often and when they are ready, pressed off into 500L French oak barrels.

Fable Mountain Vineyards is an isolated property tucked high up in the Tulbagh region against the Witzenberg Mountain range, approximately two hours from Cape Town. You must dodge baboons through the mountain pass and drive a few miles up a deserted dirt road to get there. Once you step foot on the farm, with mountain views surrounding, you realize this is a very special place. The west-facing vineyards are farmed organically and lie between 400-650m in elevation, straddling the edge a wilderness reserve. Syrah, Grenache, and Mourvédre, dominate the farm’s plantings, as they thrive in this hot, dry climate. The mountains offer more than just a breathtaking view, they offer shade over the vineyards for part of the day, thus slowing the ripening, a key for maintaining natural acidity. During the winter, this is one of the coldest parts of the Cape wine lands allowing the vines to reset and conserve energy for the strenuous growing season. In addition to the 32 hectares of vineyards, Fable Mountain strives to maintain a balanced, diverse farm ecosystem. During the winter months, herds of Nguni cattle and Merino sheep graze through the vineyards. This, combined with ample cover cropping, provides natural compost and aids in building soil. For the past several years, Tremayne Smith has taken the reins as head winemaker at Fable Mountain. He is incredibly deliberate and thoughtful in his approach to wine, always striving for freshness, texture, and balance. The winemaking process at Fable Mountain is a hands-on affair, all grapes are sorted by hand and fermented naturally in small tanks and barrels. They employ a gravity-fed system in the cellar to ensure gentle extraction and subtle tannin development. Tremayne is at the top of his game right now and each vintage we look forward to that first taste.