Fairview Stok by Paaltjie Grenache 2022

Light and bright red in the glass. The nose has classic cherries, spring Cape fynbos blooms and a hint of cracked pepper notes. The palate is fresh and youthful with juicy red berry fruit and a sprinkle of spice on the finish. An ethereal, light-bodied wine with some good grippy tannin from the stems. Will soften and develop over time. Enjoy now or mature for up to 3 years. Can we served slightly chilled.

The fruit was hand-harvested in the early morning and brought to the cellar at optimal coolness. 20% whole bunches were thrown into the bottom of the foudre (open-top French oak barrels) and the rest of the grapes were sorted and destemmed on top. The grapes were then allowed to cold soak for a day before fermentation was initiated in the foudre. Thereafter, the grapes were punched down twice daily, with aeration as needed. After the peak of fermentation, the wine was only pumped over once a day until fermentation was completed. The wine was then basket pressed and transferred to older French oak barrels for malolactic fermentation and allowed to mature for a further 9 months. After a barrel selection the wine was assembled, settled and lightly filtered before finally being bottled.