[vc_row type=”1″ padding_top=”20″ padding_bottom=”20″][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]
Vineyards and vines:
small parcels of selected fruit, sourced from various vineyards on our farm Kalmoesfontein, the Swartland area and the greater Paardeberg mountain.
Grapes:
Chenin Blanc, Roussanne, Marsanne, Grenache Blanc, Viognier, Verdehlo, Chardonnay, Grenache Gris, Clairette Blanche and Palomino.
Vinification:
The vinification is quite straight forward when you are working with fantastic grapes from old vineyards – whole bunch pressing of cool grapes, this juice is then transferred to old casks; very old casks for fermentation and maturation. Some of the juices are blended during components really integrate then. A small percentage of the grapes are picked a bit earlier for some acidity but the rest are picked at what we reckon is a good ripeness and flavour.
Maturation:
We only use old 1200L foudres and a 3000L foudre for fermentation and maturation of 15 months. After this the wines are racked and blended together in a single concrete tank with all their unsulfured lees and left for another 6 – 8 months before bottling.
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”1476″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” css=”.vc_custom_1490941954403{background-color: #ffffff !important;}”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”2″ padding_top=”20″ padding_bottom=”20″][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”1753″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]
The Winemaker
Bellingham Cellarmaster Andre Adriaan Badenhorst
Andre Adriaan Badenhorst’s grandfather was the general manager at Groot Constantia for 46 years. His father was born there and farmed on neighboring Buitenverwachting and Constantia Uitsig for many years. Adi grew up between the vineyards and spent his time picking (stealing) grapes. “It all started when Jean Daneel, then winemaker at Buitenverwachting, let me make my first wine when I was thirteen,” Adi recalls.
After completing his studies at Elsenburg, Adi worked a few harvests at Chateau Angelus, Alain Graillot in the north Rhone, France and Wither Hills in New Zealand and did stints at local cellars Simonsig, Steenberg, Groote Post and nine years as winemaker at the esteemed Stellenbosch estate, Rustenberg.
In 2008 he packed it all in and bought a 60-hectare piece of land in the Paardeberg with his cousin Hein. They now proudly farm together, practice biological farming and make natural wines in the traditional manner.
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
