Different Vintage ,
Different Conditions, Different Wines!
The season
started with a very dry June/July last year and changed
to a really wet August through to December 1998.
During this period the temperatures and the humidity
were high, this caused many problems with diseases.
After the middle of January 1999 the weather conditions
changed to dry, which stopped the mildew growing.
We
started 14 days later than normal (14th February )
harvesting, but then it then went quickly, because
of continuing very warm and dry conditions. A brand
new harvesting machine helped to finish all the white
grapes in less than 10 days. At the end of February
the climate changed to cool, which slowed down the
ripening of the red grapes so much so that we stopped
harvesting for 7 days because of low sugars. It then
changed to warm and dry again which rushed the ripening
of the red grapes, with time not on our side we had
to harvest every day to finish with enough fruit.
Everything
went well in the Cellar and the experience of the whole
team helped handle all the extra pressure. The new
harvester again guaranteed the quick and correct harvesting
of our grapes for the best quality.
The Wines
Sauvignon Blanc - with a second small crop
of only 5 tons/ha, the grapes were very healthy,
fullripe and aromatic. An elegant flavorful wine with
nice fruit, because of the rush ripening.
Chardonnay
- also a very small crop of 2 tons/ha, full, nutty,
with nice fruit and big maturation potential.
Pinotage
- an unusually small crop of 4ton/ha without cutting
out grapes. Dense colour and typical plumy, well
balanced, compact fruit.
Merlot - normal crop of 4 -
6 ton/ha , because of a cool slope, I could leave
the grapes to a very fullripe stage without having
a jammy character. Soft but compact red fruit and nice
soft tannins.
Cabernet Sauvignon - Because of a careful
selection of clones and soil, Saxenburg does not
have Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards which tend to mature
slow under difficult climate conditions. All matured
well during the first half of March and we could finish
the harvest by the 3rd week. Good colour, nice fruit
and plenty of flavour, Cabernet Sauvignon which can
mature well in good wood.
Shiraz - the young vineyards
of Saxenburg have matured and the warm dry conditions
concentrated the juice well. Again the rushed maturation
towards the end gave very nice fruit, flavour, and
colour. With only 5 days of maceration after the
fermentation the wine was already balanced with ripe
soft tannins to mature well . All wines are of good
quality and I judge the 1999 vintage between the 1997
and 1998 quality.
Tip from the cellar ghost: See
that you store enough of the 1997 and 1998 and 1999
vintages, because these wines are from very small
unhurried crops, with huge maturation potential. From
the positive influence of the harvesting experience
at Chateau Capion, one can notice since 1997 Saxenburg
has changed its philosophy on the vinification. The
Chardonnay had the wood maturation period of 6 months
stretched to 10 months resulting in a wine that is
much more adult and rounded off. |
