ABV 13.5% Rustenberg is a true pioneer of Roussanne in South Africa, importing the first plants in the late 1990s and producing the first single varietal wine in 2004.This wine has a fragrant perfume of lilies, as well as peach and apricot fruit with complex flavours of green apple, which are also evident on the palate. Characters of sweeter pineapple flesh out the mid-palate and give weight to a peppery finish with great minerality. Vintage conditionsThis vintage was impacted by the fourth year of the ongoing drought in the region. The 2017 winter was cold and dry, followed by a dry spring and summer, with bouts of unusual weather. A number of thunderstorms resulted in a late onset of additional vigour in the vineyards. Unsettled weather and wind during flowering, along with a freak hail storm and low levels of soil moisture decreased yields by 20% to 50%. The harvest began closer to its average start date and the smaller berries and bunches yielded lower juice volumes per ton. The lower yields resulted in the wines showing excellent concentration and body, producing rich, robust reds and fruit forward, expressive whites and rosés.Vinification detailsAfter hand harvesting, the grapes were whole bunch pressed before fermentation in stainless steel tanks. Following fermentation, the wine spent a month on its lees prior to bottling.Green credentialsAccredited Integrated Production of Wine (IPW) estate.
