Harvested from our two blocks of D1V7 pinot gris on the Napoleone Vineyard, along with a parcel of fruit from the Old Beenak Road vineyard near Gembrook. Due to the perfect ripening conditions, we harvested a touch earlier than normal, around 12 baume. Most of the harvest gets a few hours skin contact to build flavour. We press hard, as much of the texture and flavour with gris comes late in the press. 30% of the wine is fermented naturally in oak (old hogsheads). The rest is fermented in tank with Alsatian isolate yeast. Lees stirred regularly. We run a relatively (for white wine) high pH, to widen the palate and enhance texture. Bottled early to retain freshness.
