Niepoort & Sadie Cape Tawny 2009

Niepoort & Sadie Cape Tawny 2009

Vineyards

Swartland, South Africa

Winemaking and Maturation

orting was done by hand, and the juice was extracted by stomping whole bunches barefoot in bins. After fermentation, the grapes were fortified on the skins with five-year-old brandy spirits and then pressed in a vertical basket press. One of the most important aspects in producing a fortified wine is picking the grapes at the perfect moment, not over-ripe, as retaining natural acidity is critical.

The balance between the natural sugar retained, the tannin extraction, and the final potential alcohol level post-fermentation is a mystical equation, and if met, it simply produces one of the greatest expressions in the world of wine.

After 12 years of ageing in traditional 'pipes' (cigar-shaped barrels imported from Portugal). The same wine was released as a limited-release and highly collectable Tawny.

Tasting Notes

'The Cape Tawny Fortified had the benefit of input from a family with a history in the making of port: the Niepoort Family has been producing fortified wines for a couple of centuries now, and their understanding of these wines is profound. It has been a great process of discovery to make this wine together with them.

This release is a limited production and therefore highly collectable, but, more importantly, it was made and bottled to be enjoyed and shared with friends. We opted for 375ml bottles to enable you to share more easily….' - The Sadie Family

Technical Details