Riesling Noble Late Harvest 2021

Located on the cool slopes of the Elgin Valley, not far from Cape Town, the Paul Cluver estate benefits from a maritime climate tempered by its altitude and proximity to the Atlantic Ocean. The Riesling vines are planted in predominantly clay-schist and sandy soils, which offer natural drainage and good moisture retention. This combination of cool temperatures, moderate sunshine, and ocean breezes allows for a slow ripening of the grapes, ideal for the development of noble rot, the hallmark of the region's great sweet wines.

The Riesling grapes are hand-harvested in several late passes to select for botrytized berries, then gently pressed before cold settling. Fermentation proceeds slowly at low temperatures in stainless steel tanks to preserve aromatic purity and the sugar/acidity balance, until the desired residual sugar level is reached. The wine is then aged on its fine lees in stainless steel tanks for several months, with limited racking to maintain the freshness, concentration, and complexity characteristic of Paul Cluver's Noble Late Harvest.

This wine reveals notes of candied apricot , yellow peach , and mandarin , enhanced by hints of orange peel and lemon zest . Honeyed nuances, white flowers , and a subtle minerality complete the bouquet. On the palate, the wine is smooth and creamy, driven by a lively acidity that balances the sweet richness, with a full, silky texture and a lingering finish marked by notes of candied citrus and honey .

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.