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Longridge Wine Estate

Wines

The wines below are represented by Sovereign Selection in the United States.
 

2012 Longridge Rouge

Tasting Notes
This refreshing, fruity wine is bursting with raspberry, mulberry and blackberry flavours, while cloves, nutmeg and ripe cherries on the palate adds extra complexity.

TERROIR - Rooted in deep fine granite Tukulu soils on the slopes of the Helderberg, these vineyards enjoy the refreshingly cool breezes from the Atlantic Ocean during the hot summer months, resulting in even ripening of the berries.

VITICULTURE - All the vines are trellised in the vertical shoot position (VSP) style and under drip irrigation. Grapes were hand harvested middle February at 23°Balling.The vineyard produced 3.2 ton/ha. Smaller bunches with small berries resulted in a concentrated wine with good colour.

VINIFICATION - The grapes were hand sorted before and after de-stemming, and placed into stainless steel tanks for cold maceration. It was fermented with natural and commercial wild yeast for 12 days. The wine has been made in a very natural with minimal interference in the cellar and may in time develop natural and harmless sediment. This wine will improve over the next 5 years.

ORIGIN - Western Cape

BLEND - Shiraz 83%, Cabernet Sauvignon 9%, Cabernet Franc 6%, Pinotage 1%, Merlot 1%

Alc: 14.0 %    TA: 5.6/l     RS: 1.7g/l     PH: 3.57

2013 Longridge Ekliptika

Tasting Notes
Ekliptika is named after the orbit the stars, planets and moon takes around the sun. The name and the label illustrate our biodynamic way of farming. This Bordeaux style blend is shaped to suit our unique terrior and is composed of the best batches Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.

TERROIR - Rooted in deep decomposed granite over clay soils on the slopes of the Helderberg. The vineyards enjoy the refreshingly cool breezes from False Bay during the hot summer days, and cool mountain winds during the evening, resulting in even ripening of the berries.

VITICULTURE - The vineyards are meticulously cared for by hand. The crop is reduced to ensure maximum quality. Organic and biodynamic practises are employed by not using any pesticides, herbicides or chemical spray.

VINIFICATION - This wine is made naturally and in a biodynamic way and aged in French oak for 22 months. No commercial yeasts, enzymes or fining agents were used. It is further not filtered or cold stabilized and may therefore in time show harmless sediment. With proper ageing this wine will improve over the next 15 years.

ORIGIN - Stellenbosch

PRODUCTION - Jasper Raats, Albert le Roux, Hendrien de Muck

Blend - Cabernet Franc 37%, Merlot 35%, Cabernet Sauvignon 28%

Alcohol: 14.0 %    Bottles: 3000

2013 Longridge Ou Steen Chenin Blanc

STYLE - The style of this single vineyard Chenin Blanc was inspired by the great Vouvray Demi-Sec’s (literally half dry) from the Val de Loire in France. These lovely age worthy Chenins, of which Domaine Huet ‘Le Mont’ is one of Jasper’s favourites, can be enjoyed with spicy food, such as curries or with savoury sauces & is also a natural partner to wasabi & sushi. Due to the great natural acidity of Chenin Blanc (colloquially called ‘Steen’), it can result in wines with unbelievable balance & poise even with residual sugar of 16-19g/l. This wines style is totally determined by the conditions & can therefore only be produced in exceptional years.

AROMA PROFILE - A toasty marmalade, pineapple, lime & honey nougat character on the nose gives way to a fresh acidity on the mid pallet ending, in a long lingering finish, with tropical fruits & charry vanilla.

TERROIR - Rooted in the oldest viticulture soil in the world, it is made up of decomposed granite on the lower slopes of the Helderberg. This vineyard enjoyed the refreshingly cool breezes from False Bay (Atlantic Ocean) during the day & cool night air flowing down the mountain, resulting in even ripening of the berries & good natural acidity. The macro climate is maritime, with cold wet winters & sunny warm summers.

VITICULTURE - Harvested from a 0.6 ha, 36 year old single vineyard, it is naturally low yielding at only 3 tons/ha, or 19 hectolitre/ha. Biodynamic (organic) practises are followed & therefore no herbicides or chemical sprays were used in the production of these grapes. The fruit was hand picked in the second week of February 2013 in small picking bins to ensure that perfect grapes reached the cellar.

VINIFICATION - Whole bunch pressed grapes fermented with wild yeast in French Puncheons. It is also aged in these barrels sur lie for 10 to 12 months. In line with our ultra-natural & terroir-driven approach, the wine received no enzymes, no fining & was bottled unfiltered. Although the wine is drinking well now, we recommend further cellaring, as the wine will improve with maturation for another 8 – 10 years.

ORIGIN - Longridge Wine Estate, Helderberg, Stellenbosch

WINEMAKING TEAM - Jasper Raats, Hendrien de Munck & Albert Le Roux

ACCOLADES - 17.5 Jancis Robinson 2014; 92/100 Tim Atkin MW 2015; 94/100 Jamie Good 2015

Alcohol: 14 %    Bottles: 1252

2014 Longridge Blanc

Tasting Notes
This very refreshing white blend is packed with tropical fruit flavours. The wine has been made in a very natural way with minimal interference in the cellar, showcasing the true terroir of the region.

AROMA PROFILE - This refreshing white wine is packed with flavours of tropical fruits, Grapefruit, guava, marmalade, lime, honeycomb and hints of candy floss.

TERROIR - Rooted in deep fine granite Tukulu soils on the slopes of the Helderberg, these vineyards enjoy the refreshingly cool breezes from the Atlantic Ocean during the hot summer months, resulting in even ripening of the berries.

VITICULTURE - A minimum interference approach is taken in the vineyards to get a true reflection of the unique terroir. Vines are pruned & suckered to get a evenly spaced shoot position which results in maximum flow of cool air through the bunches. Grapes are handpicked in February with an average yield of 6 ton/ha.

VINIFICATION - Grapes were handpicked and delivered to the cellar in small crates to minimize oxidation and crushing. All grapes were whole bunch pressed to stainless steel tanks to settle overnight. The wines were fermented naturally at 14-16°C and were further made with minimal interference in the cellar. After fermentation the wines were left on the lees for 4 months before blending and bottling.

BLEND - Viognier 40%, Verdelho 30%, Sauvignon Blanc 13%, Chardonnay 10%, Chenin Blanc 7%

Alc: 12.5 %    TA: 5.5g/l    RS: 1.8g/l    PH: 3.21

2014 Longridge Chenin Blanc

Tasting Notes
This elegantly crafted dry wine is made in a very natural way. Fresh flavours of melon, pineapple and lime are accompanied with smooth hints of almonds and brioche and finishes with a light crisp minerality.

AROMA PROFILE - Green sweet melon, rich citrus, lime & perfume greets you on the nose while hints of nuttyness on the palate ends in a crisp fresh finish.

TERROIR - Rooted in the oldest viticulture soil in the world, it is made up of decomposed granite on the lower slopes of the Helderberg mountain. This vineyard enjoyed the refreshingly cool breezes from False Bay (Atlantic ocean) during the day & cool air at night flowing down the mountain, resulting in even ripening of the berries & good natural acidity. The macro climate is maritime, with cold wet winters & sunny warm summers, with the Helderberg Ward being the coolest in the Stellenbosch region.

VITICULTURE - The vineyards are meticulously cared for by hand. The crop is reduced to ensure maximum quality. Organic and biodynamic practises are employed by not using any pesticides, herbicides or chemical spray. 100% estate grown.

VINIFICATION - Grapes were whole bunch pressed and the wine was made in a very natural way with no commercial yeast, enzymes or fining agents being used. Fermentation lasted 10 -14 days in French oak barrels with regular battonage before racking. It is not filtered or cold stabilized and may therefore in time show harmless sediment. The wine was aged for 11 months in a combination of new and seasoned French oak barrels.

The wine can be enjoyed now, but will improve over the next 5 years.

ORIGIN - Stellenbosch

WINEMAKER - Jasper Raats & Hendrien de Munck

Alc : 13%

About

About

Longridge Wine Estate, one of the leading wine estates in South Africa, is situated in the Stellenbosch region on the slopes of the Helderberg mountain range. The farm was first registered in 1841 and underwent a few name changes before finally being called Longridge in 1992, when commercial wine production first started.

Our goal is to produce world class wines in a natural way, applying the age-old traditions of “natural winemaking’’ and respecting our land, by not using any herbicides, pesticides or chemical sprays.

Please come and visit us to taste and buy our wines or enjoy lunch or dinner at the restaurant. We are child friendly and you can take your children on a short walking trail to discover the different kinds of grapes, and to visit our hardworking cows and ducks.

Vineyards

Vineyards

The farm is 50 hectares in size with half of that currently planted with vines. The slopes are mostly west facing and about 5km from the sea.

Our relatively moderate Maritime climate contributes towards the even ripening of the grapes, with cooling breezes pushing in from nearby False Bay during the afternoons and cool air rolling down the mountain at night. This makes it generally a few degrees cooler than the rest of Stellenbosch. Average annual rainfall is approximately 800mm and the clay sub-soil has good water-holding capacity, however we can irrigate in dry years to preserve quality.

Our soils are essentially decomposed granite over iron rich clay, which are ideal for the varieties we grow. We are focussed on improving the mineral make-up and organic matter in our soils and employ bio-dynamic practices to great effect to accomplish this.

We focus on the varieties that are best suited to our climate and soils.

Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc (Steen) have both proven themselves over the years and have been highly awarded. Likewise, the classic red varieties of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and of course Pinotage.

Our winemaking philosophy is simple – we want to make enjoyable wines, which are healthy to drink and of a world class standard.

For this we need only grapes and time. In other words, we do not want to make all the various additions modern winemakers use to produce wines quicker and cheaper. Accordingly we use less sulphur dioxide and no commercial yeast, enzymes, fining agents, stabilizing agents, filtration etc.

Restaurant

Restaurant

With panoramic views sweeping over False Bay and Table Mountain, the award winning Longridge restaurant is a perfect showcase for delicious South African inspired cuisine. A favourite amongst both tourists and locals, you’ll find a menu rich in organic herbs and vegetables from the estate’s garden.

In a beautifully relaxed atmosphere, enjoy homegrown luxury, masterfully created by the finest chefs, and complemented by a large selection of specially matured vintage wines from the Longridge Vinoteq.

Enjoy fabulous country cuisine inspired by the freshest seasonal produce from our organic kitchen garden.  Culinary consultant Marilou Marais and our chef Bruce von Pressentin work closely together to create a culinary journey through each season.  Each culinary master piece can be perfectly paired with the elegant wines from the Longridge cellar.  The relaxed and informal atmosphere is the perfect showcase for the incredible panoramic views sweeping over False Bay with glorious sunsets over Table Mountain.

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