“We planted our first Sauvignon Gris vines on sandstone soils up in the Sandpoort area in 2018, just 0.7 hectares, so it’s a super-small site. It’s a mutation of Sauvignon Blanc, so it looks exactly the same as Sauvignon, but about three weeks before harvest, the skins start turning a lovely, slightly pinkish-grey colour. The grapes for this vintage were hand-harvested in the early morning at 23.5 °B on 24 February 2023,” says David Nieuwoudt of this exciting new limited-release wine.
It was a naturally good fit as this variety fares well in warmer climates and is known for having naturally lower yields that deliver good acidity and excellent concentration of flavour.
“It’s a cultivar with a thicker skin so the grapes were whole bunch pressed and then naturally fermented in two 400-litre French oak barrels. This was a very small batch so less than a thousand bottles were produced.
“The Cederberg Sandpoort Sauvignon Gris 2023 has got this gorgeous tangerine-orange, nutty component on the nose. But I think that the real charm is on the palate. It has this silky, velvety, glycerol, waxy texture on the palate and has got serious length.
“This is a very charming and rare wine, so enjoy every sip. Cheers!” concludes David.
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