Diemersdal Winter Ferment Sauvignon Blanc 2017

Frozen.

Thys Louw of Diemersdal continues to set the pace when it comes to Sauvignon Blanc. The latest addition to this Durbanville property’s extensive range of wines from the variety is the Winter Ferment 2017.

Louw had heard rumour of producers in both New Zealand and Sancerre, France making wine from juice after it had been frozen and decided to follow suit – he put 10 1000-litre flexi-tanks of juice into a container at -20⁰C for four months before defrosting and completely the vinification process as normal.

The result? Thiol counts (the compounds responsible for granadilla and other tropical fruit aromas and flavours) unheard of in South Africa. The nose does indeed show plenty of granadilla plus guava and mango while the palate has nice weight, the acidity none too spiky. Price: R145 a bottle.

Editor’s rating: 89/100.

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