2017 Neil Ellis Sauvignon Blanc Groenekloof, South Africa

THE WINE

The juice was cleaned by means of floatation after it was racked and inoculated to ferment at low temperatures. The wine was left on the lees for 3 months before blending and bottling

THE ESTATE

Groenekloof is situated near Darling on a series of hills running along the Cape West Coast. Strongly influenced by the interaction of soil, topography and climate, this Sauvignon Blanc is lively, complex and reflective of its origin.

At first sight a seemingly fruitless landscape. There a no majestic mountains, no tranquil streams. The days are long and dry, the nights are bitterly cold. Beyond the eye a hidden treasure lies below. Deep rich red soils. Here, where the chilly Atlantic meets the Cape West coast the dryland vineyards flourish.

The deep, red, decomposed granite has a good water holding capacity which is suitable for dryland cultivation. All the vineyards are bush vines that lead to a great complexity and fruit intensity in the wines as the bunches on the vine are all exposed to different conditions.