Plat'bos 2022

Located in the Swartland region, north of Cape Town, David & Nadia's Plat'bos vineyard is rooted in ancient decomposed granite and sand soils, near the village of Malmesbury. Planted on gently undulating hillsides, the vines benefit from a Mediterranean climate tempered by cool breezes from the Atlantic Ocean. This combination of warmth, wind, and poor soils promotes naturally low yields, producing concentrated grapes that accurately reflect the mineral identity and finesse characteristic of the Swartland terroirs.

From a plot of bush vines on deep sands, the grapes are harvested manually, sorted, and then pressed in whole clusters. The must is transferred by gravity into neutral oak barrels for spontaneous fermentation by indigenous yeasts, without enzymes or acidification. Malolactic fermentation is generally allowed. Aging continues on fine lees in these same barrels, with limited bâtonnage to preserve tension, before blending and bottling without fining and with light filtration.

This wine reveals notes of ripe citrus, fresh apple and pear, complemented by floral touches of white flowers and a discreet herbal dimension. Saline and mineral nuances mingle with subtle spicy accents and a slight nutty character from aging. The palate presents a precise and slender texture, supported by a lively yet harmonious acidity, with a taut body and a long, crystalline, and slightly saline finish that underscores the wine's digestible character.

The first grape vines were planted in South Africa by Dutch settlers in the 1650s, although wine production did not really take off until the arrival of French Protestants in the 1680s with their skills and knowledge of viticulture. Stellenbosch is also a historic wine region, with the first vineyards being planted there in the 1690s. Today, South Africa is one of the most important wine producing countries in the Southern Hemisphere. With over 300 years of winemaking history, it is often described as a bridge between the Old and New Worlds. The majority of wines are produced using New World winemaking techniques, but they often share more in common stylistically with their Old World counterparts. Since the end of apartheid, South African wine has received international attention and acclaim for its wide variety of styles. South Africa's wine industry is spread across the lush and rugged landscape of the Western Cape. Here, the abundance of mountains, valleys and plateaus allows winemakers to produce a wide variety of styles. Vineyards are also found in the Orange River region of the Northern Cape, where the flat, arid landscape is dominated by the Kalahari Desert. Most of South Africa's wine regions have a Mediterranean climate, heavily influenced by the meeting of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. The country's signature grape variety is Pinotage, an indigenous cross of Pinot Noir and Cinsault that is rarely found in quantity in other wine-producing countries. Shiraz (Syrah) is also widely planted, as are Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot (often combined in a Bordeaux blend). South African Chardonnay, Chenin and Sauvignon Blanc have become popular internationally in recent years.