Archive for the ‘Pinot noir harvest’ Category

Pinnacle Pinot from the point of Africa!

Our recent 92 points for the Galpin Peak Pinot noir 2009, has inspired us to once again move forward at a pace with a sharpened focus on the continuous improval of the wines, starting in the vineyards!

Not only is our Pinot the kind of wine that can be enjoyed at any time of the day, as mentioned in the previous blog, but it is according to one of our clients in Germany one of those rare wines that can be enjoyed anywhere in the world!

The comment was based on the fact that on numerous occasion he had discussed with his clients, that often wines lose their character when they are tasted in another country, in a different season or at a different time of the day.  The statement made, was that our Pinot noir was so certain in its structure and aromatic composure, that this wine tasted just as good in the middle of a snowstorm a few months after having tasted it in sunny South Africa!

Pinot noir grapes

Well, how could we object this – a truly great wine can only compete with itself… and with the 2011 vintage looking good we hope to once again stir emotions and the senses when this bottling is ready to be probed!

“If you appreciate opera you will appreciate the analogy to Pinot Noir. Like opera, it takes intense preparation to put on a performance. Like opera, so much depends on who and what you have to work with. And, like opera, if the result is indifferent the audience will walk away. But if you get it right, if you achieve that high, perfect note that turns your skin to gooseflesh, everyone stands up and applauds.”

(Peter Finlayson)

Prowein Trade Fair Show

This Trade Fair ran for a period of three days.  Day number one seemed to bring the most eager clients, an assemblage of new faces and familiar faces.

Our Agents Stand at Prowein

Day two was equally exciting and then on the third day the fair took on a more casual feel with the less serious audience out and about exploring the world of wine – and it really was that! A meeting point for some of the best producers and some of the most important customers!

The size of the fair was intimidating of course and especially for me as it was my first visit to such an international wine trade fair;  And I certainly landed right at the Düsseldorf Prowein Show – one of the largest Wine Trade Fairs in the world! Read the rest of this entry »

What is on the agenda, now that almost all the grapes are in the cellar? …Besides still receiving some Kaaimansgat grapes from Villiersdorp for our Crocodile’s Lair Chardonnay 2011  – we are seeing off our harvest help Mackenzie from Canada on Tuesday evening with an internally arranged Pinot noir tasting, which will include some of the other interns from the valley and to round off  and thank the harvest team after all the hard work – Peter has arranged a barbecue at the picturesque location of the farm for us.

Peter

Mackenzie

Chris

Jessica

Today was a public holiday in South Africa (Human Rights Day) in the tasting room and as it was slightly less busy on this day in the cellar (we did not receive grapes, but the usual sugar analysis, pump overs etc. had to be done), we opened the tasting room – Peter and I were able to receive the visitors who had come from far to taste our wines.

We had many “So glad to find you open today!” and “We came especially to taste your wines, so happy you are open!” Read the rest of this entry »

Harvest hovers and hopes are high!

At this point in the cellar we are working the barrels (washing, aligning, stacking)  – ready to be filled with the devilishly dark and divine Pinot noir. The ferments have gone smoothly and in the next week or so most of the Pinot will have been taken to barrel.

It is an extremely exciting time, because the wines are starting to take shape and the Pinot noir aromas are displaying promising notes of blackcurrants, mulberry and cherries. Read the rest of this entry »

Vintage 2011 has commenced ( 7th Feb 2011)

Timing has been of the essence and this year with Pinot noir being the first grapes to the cellar!  My analogy for 2011 is that of sailing a racing yacht in ever changing strong winds and turbulent seas. All manner of tricky weather and opportunistic bugs have been waiting in the wings to upstage this event. Hopefully the weather will now give us a break and offer the chance to cut clean and fast through the next three weeks. At this point we are enjoying excellent prospects and now running with our spinnaker at full sail. Lets hope it stays that way!

Lights, Camera, Action!

And herewith we draw the curtains – strong, bronzed men scramble to lay the red carpet for our Pinot, which is about to enter the stage and models pose for publicity amongst the bearing vines  –  berries round and ripe, ready for the following delight?

As we embark on the journey through the harvest at Bouchard Finlayson 2011, we invite and entice you to be part of our  “diwine” affairs, here in the Hemel en Aarde Valley (Heaven and Earth Valley) in the wine region Walker Bay.

Read the rest of this entry »