VINTAGE 2019

The 2019 vintage on Normandie were smaller after yet another very dry season leading up to harvest, with far below Long Term (LT) average rainfall.  The vintage can be divided into two parts: the first part leading up to end of February and the second part from beginning of March when we had a few thundershowers and unusually high humidity for the rest of the season.  

The amazing Normandie terroir resulted in our dam being filled once again despite lower that average winter rainfall.  Fluctuation weather during spring caused for a little uneven budding, but high temperatures during October evened out most differences in growth and we experienced good conditions during flowering and berry set.  As in 2018, berries were a fraction smaller than normal due to the dry conditions.  Our experienced vineyard team worked timeously on meticulous canopy management doing crop control to bring perfect balance between crop load and vigour.

From veraison in mid-December, we experienced mild days throughout January and slightly warmer temperatures during the first two weeks of February, allowing good ripening under our conditions with controlled irrigation.    

Our grapes ripened beautifully towards end of February when we had a small, very welcome thundershower.  Following the rainfall, the entire Winelands region experienced an unusually high humidity until autumn.  As a result of our grapes ripening much slower due to the strange climate, we had a late harvest with exceptional flavour and elegance! Our yield was 37.8 hectolitres per hectare.

2019 wines promise to be fresh and lean with great length!