94 points - Platter's Wine Guide

92 points - "The Newton Johnsons have been making Albariño since 2013 and were one of the early adopters of the grape. Combining stainless steel, concrete egg and foudre components, this is a richer style that’s dominated by grapes from a north-facing site. Peach and orange zest flavours are underpinned by tangy acidity." - Tim Atkin MW

In 2013 this became the first Albariño to be made in South Africa after the Newton Johnson family imported the vine material of this fragrant variety to the Cape with designs on
establishing a familiar home for it in the favourable maritime conditions of the Upper Hemelen-Aarde Valley.

The grape has its origins on the wet and cool Atlantic north-west coast of Spain and Portugal, where monks are fabled to have brought it from the Rhine River in central
Europe on their pilgrimages centuries before. Its native soil is of Granite origin, similar to ours, where it expresses subliminal definition, almost Riesling -like florality and complexity.


WINEMAKER’S TASTING NOTE

An opulent concentration of crisp and complex fruit and redolent white flowers. The pungent base of ripe limes, tangy nectarine and quince fruit is softened with a mealy beeswax character. Drifting scents of apple blossom and honeydew deliver some alluring top notes. The waxy
texture envelops the pal ate, succulent fruit in the middle, and the flavour protracted by refreshing acidity in the finish.


LOCATION & CLIMATE

These three vineyards lie on north and south facing slopes at altitudes of 250-300m, in the porphyritic Granite soils of the Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley. This appellation ranges from 4 to 8 km in proximity to the Atlantic Ocean. The climate is cool and temperate, where parallel mountain ranges channel the southerly oceangoing winds through the appellation during the summer. These southerly winds in turn create regular sea mists and overcast conditions, moderating the temperatures in the valley. The annual rainfall is 850mm, with 50% falling in the winter months (May – August).


WINEMAKING

The grapes are handpicked and packed in to small, shallow crates to limit crushing of the bunches. The day’s harvest is cooled down overnight to 8ºC in the winery’s refrigerated cold room. The bunches are hand-sorted on a conveyor table and fall directly in to the press for whole bunch pressing . The juice is settled overnight (no enzymes used) and racked to large concrete eggs, stainless steel, with a smaller component in old foudre, for spontaneous
fermentation. No sulphur was added before fermentation.


MATURATION & BOTTLING

Matured for 8 months in concrete eggs (29%), stainless steel (62%) and old wooden foudre (9%). No fining, coarse filtration and sulphur adjustment before bottling.