The Fledge & Co Fume Blanc
Philosophy – Sauvignon blanc can unashamedly speak of its origin & if planted in the correct terroirs allows the crafting of quite exceptional wines. Our aim is to craft a barrel fermented & matured Sauvignon from unique sites.
Vineyard – This vintage marked a departure from our usual Outeniqua haunt, sourcing Sauvignon from the windswept decomposed sandstone loams of Sondagskloof nearby Gansbaai & the decomposed granitic soils of Stellenbosch within earshot of False Bay. All fruit was hand harvested at dawn. Quite possibly the most tempestuous vintage in the Cape – super low winter rainfall, early spring, hot summer, heat waves & erratic weather – resulted in small clusters of fruit, great concentration & very lithe wines.
Vinification – Hand harvested at dawn, crushed directly into small pneumatic presses and gently pressed & settled overnight at low temperature, where after
the juice with a good portion of fine lees was transferred to old French oak & fermented utilizing five different Sauvignon specific yeast strains. Post ferment the Stellenbosch was racked into old French oak hogsheads & Sondagskloof to 500L barrels and bâtonnaged regularly. After 8 months barrel maturation, the wines were blended & bottled unfined, unfiltered. Only yeast & small amounts of sulphur are added during the process.
Wine – Packing in more “cool climate- ness” - this wine brims with a mélange of pea shoots, fynbos, lime leaf, white peach, nectarine, subtle vanilla ‘n ripe tangerine, undertones of green pepper Tabasco, white pepper & creamy oak. Ideal partner to fresh seafood, roast free range Sunday chicken, fine fromage & charcuterie or an aperitif. Serve chilled & best decanted. Serve chilled & best decanted in youth or cellar to enjoy the complexities of bottle matured Fumé.
Awards:
Kudos: Silver, OMTW 2017
Track record: 2015 - 93 pts Tim Atkin MW / 90 pt Christian Eedes winemag.co.za