The Waterkloof winery is located on Schaapenberg in South Africa. It's owned by Paul Boutinot, who took it over in 2004. He invested in a beautiful winery to fulfill his dream of making biodynamic wines. The logo symbolizes the wind blowing through the vineyards. And that's precisely the most important aspect. The cooling air from False Bay ensures slow ripening, resulting in elegant, dry wines.
The Sauvignon Blanc comes from three windy, south-facing blocks (less sun exposure) at an altitude of 270-300 meters and just 3.2 km from the Atlantic Ocean. The vines are 20 years old, and production was a remarkable 4 tons per hectare. Waterkloof follows a traditional, minimalist approach in their gravity-fed cellar, meaning they interfere as little as possible with the winemaking process. This allows the flavors native to each vineyard to ultimately express themselves in the wine.
To achieve this, all grapes are pressed whole bunch, ensuring the gentlest extraction of the juice. The juice is then left to settle naturally for 24 hours. Naturally occurring wild yeast is used to ferment the juice, primarily in old 600-liter barrels (90 percent). This results in a longer fermentation process with a slow release of aromas and a more structured palate. The natural fermentation process lasted 7 to 8 months. No acid or enzymes are added during the winemaking process, with only light filtration and a small addition of sulfur as a preservative before bottling.
