Vergelegen Sauvignon Blanc

Description

Vergelegen Sauvignon Blanc from Vegelegen Estate’s Premium range of wines. It is 95% Sauvignon Blanc with 5% Semillon.

Wine has been made in some form at the Vergelegen estate since Willem Adriaan van der Stel, as governor of the Cape in 1700, claimed a modest 30,000 hectare piece of land for himself. He soon set about planting with vines and 6 years after he started planting he had half a million vine stocks. In 1987, after the Phillips, and then the Barlow, families had owned the estate for the best part of the 20th century, it was purchased by Anglo American and Vergelegen Estate as we know it today began to take shape. Much research, renovation and planting was undertaken and, in 1992, an impressive, multi-leveled, sunken hilltop winery was built and opened by Baron Eric de Rothschild, owner of Château Lafite (Bordeaux). This gravity flow cellar reflects a return towards simplicity and craftsmanship in wine making whilst retaining the property’s natural splendour.

Parcels of grapes for Vergelegen Sauvignon Blanc are hand-harvested from selected vineyards at peak ripeness and transported to the Vergelegen cellar in wooden bins. After de-stemming and crushing, the grapes were pressed and vinified. The parcels of grapes (whether row, block etc.) are vinified separately and blend at the end of the wine-making process. Musts and finished wines were kept in contact with their lees by stirring at least once daily to add complexity and mouthfeel.