Asara Vine Dried Sauvignon Blanc 2014 (6/case) (R199/BOTTLE)

Asara’s Speciality range is an eclectic collection of wines that represent a twist on regional specialities. Niche and unique, the range reects the quality of an estate whose vinous history dates back to 1691.

 

Range: Speciality

 

Cultivar: Sauvignon Blanc (100%)

 

Style: Straw wine

 

Area of origin: Polkadraai, Stellenbosch

 

Story:

Asara’s Vine Dried Sauvignon Blanc owes its advent in part to a heat wave that happened (factually) during ripening when the vineyard was very young.

The grapes were rushed to the cellar and the less mature fruit was given up as a casualty of vintage vagary.

During a lull in harvesting the hanging Sauvignon Blanc was found to be in very good health. Clearly not amenable to a standard vinification – the sugar content now measuring 30° Balling – the grapes were pressed to barrel and fermentation trialled. The result was a deliciously vibrant, yet sweet and syrupy wine with an alluringly different flavour profile.

 

Vineyards:

Produced from a single vineyard block grown at altitude (190m) on an east-facing slope.

Limited sunshine exposure and cooler climes contribute elegance to the wine; the soil type, Tukulu, retaining irrigation and adding acidity.

Each vine is picked back to a single bunch for concentration of flavour. The grapes are dried on mats for 2 – 3 weeks and turned minimally, caramelizing flavours on the sun-exposed side, the other conserving acidity.

Average yield is 6 tons per hectare, 1.1 tons being used for the Sun Dried Sauvignon Blanc.

 

Winemaking:

The grapes are whole-bunch pressed and the juice is fermented in barrel. The wine is immediately racked from the lees to retain fruit freshness and acidity.

 

Tasting notes:

Pineapple pieces in syrup, guava and tropical fruits, with subtle lime aromas on the nose.

A fresh, juicy palate, its vibrant acidity the perfect counterbalance to sweetly tropical notes.

 

Analysis:

Alcohol: 10 %

Residual sugar (RS): 19.84g/ℓ

pH: 3.51

Total Acidity (TA): 7.9 g/ℓ