The Drift Farm, There are Still Mysteries, Single Vineyard Pinot Noir, Overberg Highlands, South Africa, 2018

Producer Profile

Driven by a desire to make individual, superb quality wines with exceptional character The Drift wines are carefully crafted by winemaker Bruce Jack using only grapes grown on the farm.

The Drift specialises in red wine from various varieties and vineyard sites on the farm. The vineyards planted are in small, irregular shaped plots to suit the various contours of the land, and the land is organically farmed. In the winery, these plots are fermented separately then married together to find balance and complexity.

Viticulture

This is from the O' Brien single vineyard. Planted in 2004. They don't expect more than 3 tons per hectare due to the steepness and wind. Vineyards are sited on ancient shale mixed with weathered sandstone from the mountainside. At 450m above sea level, the vines look south west towards the Atlantic Oceans. Hand-pruned and hand-picked.

Winemaking

The grapes are destemmed under CO2 into an open top stainless steel fermenter, cold soaked at <12°C for 5 days with daily pump overs under CO2. A natural fermentation without added yeast lasts 3 days with 3-4 daily gentle punch downs; post fermentation maceration follows, pressed using a traditional basket press before a light rack to barrel after 24 hours settling.

Oak Treatment

Time: 12 Months
Type: 225 litres - mixture of French and American oak.
% wine oaked: 100
% new oak: 30

Tasting Note

The nose shows an intriguing blend of just-ripe strawberry and blueberry, wrapped up in spring herbs and dark chocolate oak. The palate echoes the ripe, red forest fruits of the nose, and also reflects the subtle and complexing herbaceous characters. The tannins are creamy, long and persistent. This wine benefits from being decanted a day or two before consuming. It will age gracefully for at least 15 years if stored correctly.