Tuesday, 8 December, 2015
Bellingham Wines
Bellingham The Bernard Series Whole Bunch Roussanne 2015
‘Pod’ was an innovator and pioneer. Neil is an innovator and pioneer, with new wine grape varieties, with cutting edge vineyard management and cellar techniques. We live in exciting Bellingham times.
The two wines are unique in their own special ways. Not often does Roussanne, of which there are only small plantings in the Cape, appear in a bottle. The grapes for the Bellingham The Bernard Series Whole Bunch Roussanne 2015 come from Paarl and other Coastal region vineyards. Planted on ancient weathered granite, the 9 year old vineyards produce an evenhanded 7 to 9 tons per hectare. Hand harvested, the bunches are whole pressed to preserve the integrity of the juice as Roussanne has a very thin skin. Cold tank fermentation also allows the fruit and the characteristics of Roussanne to shine.
The Bellingham The Bernard Series Basket Press Syrah 2013 is made up of 98% Shiraz and 2 % Viognier. The grapes come from Agter Paarl and The Bottelary Hills from vines planted on decomposed granite covered shale. The hand picked Shiraz came from two blocks yielding between four and eight tons a hectare. The Viognier from a five year old low yielding vineyard. In the Cellar Niel and his team co-ferment the two grapes with yeasts from the vineyards in open 500 litre French oak barrels. Gently pressed in a traditional old basket press, the wine is returned to French oak and then after malolactic fermentation, it is aged for 12 to 18 months.
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