It’s a busy life…
I remember that shortly after we moved out to Elgin, some of my Cape Town book club friends slightly enviously asked how many afternoon sleeps I had snuck in. Don’t be fooled into thinking that a life on a farm, in the country, is a quiet life. In the last two weeks we have bottled our 2025 Chenin Blanc, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Franc wines. We have labelled up the next vintages of the Black Dog Malbec and Chenin Blanc and have been in a stop / start pattern for the harvesting of our 2026 vintage.
The 2026 vintage had every promise of being a great one. We have experienced a particularly dry lead up to the vintage. To us in Elgin, this means low disease pressure. The risk of downy and powdery mildew and consequent rot is our great fear.
The grapes were looking fabulously healthy, the flavours well developed and the sugars were on track, just as we would have wished. Then came, one Sunday evening, a totally out-of-the-norm rain of some 65mm in 24 hours, followed by a week of intermittent rain. This means the sugars and flavours are diluted, the grapes can split and rot, and the humidity in the vineyards is conducive to disease.
Fortunately, the Chardonnay grapes had already been safely harvested and delivered into the cellar where Bobby will work his magic. Some of the Pinot Noir earmarked for Graham Beck bubbly had been harvested but as for the rest … time for Paul to exercise his years of experience and spray like crazy against disease and wait to see what impact the rains would have on the grapes.
Thankfully I have every confidence in the viticultural wisdom of Paul and the precision of Bobby’s winemaking skills to trust that they will make the correct decision as to when to harvest. Things are a little tense amongst all the winemaking community here in Elgin but all will be well!
When one puts one’s name on the bottle, it goes without saying that your integrity is on the line. No qualms at all about our recently released Off the Record Chenin Blanc 2025 vintage.
Following on the heels of the Platter 5* accolade for Bobby’s 2024 vintage of Chenin Blanc, we are of the opinion that this new vintage is every bit as good as the previous vintage – if not even better. Time will tell but Paul and I are backing this as a WOW wine!
A heads up from the lady of the manor that the Budget Speech is likely to once again heavily tax the wine, beer and spirits industries. It is around this time that the wine industry does their annual price increase. Trade prices will increase from 1 March but we will hold off the increase direct to our customers for another month. I would like to suggest that you take advantage of stocking up your cellar for all the public holidays ahead. The Platter 5* Reflection Chardonnay 2024 is still available, the 2025 Off the Record Chenin and Highlander Cabernet Franc are newly released, and the red wines are winking at you.
Don’t forget that if you join our wine club, you qualify for a 15% discount off all your wine purchases and accommodation on the farm.
Cheers to you all,
Nicky, Paul and Bobby
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