The Amphora Sauvignon Blanc forms part of our Projects Range. These are wines we can get geeky about - interesting, small runs and slightly quirky - but always delicious!

ABOUT 

Whole bunch pressed and 100% wild fermented in clay amphorae. Aged for seven months on gross lees without any additions, with minimal SO2 additions just before bottling. Locally made, these amphorae have been developed over ten years of trial and error. Ranging in sizes - between 500L and 860L - they are porous, with no lining inside, allowing for the perfect amount of micro-oxidation during maturation. 

A vintage that is somehow both edgier and more broadly yellow fruited, with a leesy, slightly reductive note bringing complexity. The nose shows a strong line of blackcurrant leaf against limes and green banana. The palate is creamy and mouth-coating but finely cut into by the grape’s lively acidity. Clearly Sauvignon, but far from typical.

VINEYARD NOTES 

Vintage '23 was characterised by low yields and early ripening, resulting in wines of excellent concentration and marked freshness, particularly in the whites. Late-season rain delayed ripening on reds, leading to challenges, but increased flavour development and elegance. The fruit for this wine comes from two sources - some 66% from our own vineyards, with the rest sourced from two vineyards in Olifantsrivier. 

WINEMAKING 

Whole bunch pressed and 100% wild fermented in clay amphorae. Aged for seven months on gross lees without any additions, with minimal SO2 additions just before bottling. Locally made, these amphorae have been developed over ten years of trial and error. Ranging in sizes - between 500L and 860L - they are porous, with no lining inside, allowing for the perfect amount of micro-oxidation during maturation.

TASTING NOTE 

A vintage that is somehow both edgier and more broadly yellow fruited, with a leesy, slightly reductive note bringing complexity. The nose shows a strong line of blackcurrant leaf against limes and green banana. The palate is creamy and mouth coating but finely cut into by the grape’s lively acidity. Clearly Sauvignon, but far from typical.

TECHNICAL

Alc 14% | RS 2.4 | TA 6.0 | pH 3.31

About Gabrielskloof 's Winery:

Gabriëlskloof is the realisation of a dream for South African Bernhard Heyns, who searched for several years to find the unique piece of land that, in his words, would “root him to the spot”. In 2001 he found what was then a canola farm named ‘Avontuur’ and the penny dropped. It was soon obvious that the site had the potential to make high-quality wines with a distinctive character, and so it has proved. Gabrielskloof has been owned and run by the Heyns family ever since. That family has since grown to include members of the local community, several of whom have risen through the ranks to senior positions at the farm.

 Engaging with and being a part of uplifting our local community is the driving force behind our employment approach and the farm has both been part of and initiated several local upliftment programs in the vicinity. The arrival of Peter-Allan Finlayson as cellar master in 2014 has ushered in a new and exciting era for the farm, notably with the Landscape Series and Projects Range, wines from which have routinely featured in critic’s choice awards in recent years.