This is the
first of our Newsletters, which are intended to keep Belfield wine drinkers
informed regarding the goings on in the vineyards, cellar matters and
any other snippets worthy of comment. This communication will happen
as and when the scribe finds the time, the inclination, and the feeling
that there is something of interest to pass on!
Our maiden vintage-2005 Cabernet Sauvignon
We launched
our limited 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon vintage of 800 bottles in June,
and were gratified, (and relieved!), at the response it received with
us being sold out by early September. It is one thing planting the vines
and making wine from the grapes, but the most intimidating process is
placing it in the market for scrutiny by some very discerning wine drinkers!
The wine found its way into Gauteng, Kwazulu Natal, Namibia, Germany, the USA, and of course the Western Cape. Because of the small volume, sales promotions were of necessity low key and done on a personal basis. So now we move on to our most recent vintages…
2006 Vintage
We have in the meantime been tracking the maturation of the 2006 wine, which was bottled in early 2007. The wine has progressed beautifully in the bottles, and is being released on the 16th of November 2007. Whilst the wines will be ready to enjoy immediately, with a little patience and time the vintages will reach their full complexity.
For 2006 we have a Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon blend, and our Cabernet Sauvignon reserve. The latter has been named Magnifica after the Protea Magnifica or Queen Protea. We farm these magnificent flowers on the Porterville Mountain in the Cedarberg range. This protea is elegant and grows in limited numbers in the wild. It seemed to us to be the ideal name for our reserve as we hope to embody the natural beauty of this flora in the Magnifica release.
The wine’s
growth is reflected in the development of out distinctive sash label.
The new label appears in red for the blend and black for the Magnifica.
Pay careful attention to the subtle pattern that is varnished across
the label and you will see a stylised Protea Magnifica!
Our wine volumes remain limited in 2007/2008. We will however be selling more widely than with our 2005 release, and we will make our wine available at selected wine shops and restaurants - we will keep you updated as to these venues when they have been finalised. Naturally, our wines will continue to be sold from Belfield.
In the vineyard
We are in the meantime preparing for the 2008 crop. Lawrence and Lucky are extremely busy desuckering in the vigorously growing vineyards. This will be followed by the tipping of the upright shoots, to control that growth. All this is aimed at creating a narrow, light friendly canopy, with good bunch exposure to the sun. Unlike us, the grapes benefit from hours of daily sun exposure!
Cellar matters
We are planning to make 20 % more wine than last year. Oak maturation is vital in the making of premium wines, and so we will be increasing our new oak component to 40% for our 2008 wine.
Our Shiraz
and Cabernet Franc in Melanie Vineyard should produce a few grapes this
year, which may be used to produce a dry rose'. We will decide
at harvest as to whether this can fit into the cellar programme.
John Platter rating 2008
We are very
excited at being awarded 4.5 stars in the 2008
John Platter wine guide for our 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon maiden vintage.
We are somewhat overwhelmed by this wonderful news!
Of course
I must express my appreciation to the team; Paul Wallace and Mark Carmichael
Green who have both been invaluable throughout the wine-making journey,
and Lawrence Lebenya whose uncompromising attention to detail has ensured
that outstanding grapes are delivered to the cellar.
Finally, a big thank you to all the family, friends, and fellow drinkers of this wine!
Cheers!
Mike and the Belfield crew
Hey Mike,
Are you exporting any of the 2006 Belfield Cab to the US? I'm in California.
cheers,
Phil
Posted by: Phil | November 20, 2007 at 10:30 PM
Hi Phil, we are sending wine to the US. Send me an email and we can arrange.
Posted by: Mike | December 05, 2007 at 09:04 AM