JUNE WINE CLUB:

Sutherland Vineyards
Sauvignon Blanc
Elgin Valley, South Africa

CRISP WINE STYLE

Beautiful purity of limes and ripe gooseberry, with tropical, floral and fine herbal notes. This is cool climate Sauvignon Blanc – vibrant, mineral, elegant, balanced and delicate, with a long, layered and complex finish.

WINE DETAILS:

• Analysis: 13.5% alcohol / volume
• Residual sugar: 1.9 g/l
  
• pH: 3.44
• Total Acidity: 6.4 g/l
• Food Pairing: A nice apéritif with fresh cheeses like chèvre (goat), or with oysters, shellfish and white fish like trout, cod and halibut.

VITICULTURAL PRACTICES:

• Appellation: Western Cape, Elgin Valley, South Africa
• Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc — 316D, 316A, 317A and 7A
• Root stock: R99 and R110
• Soil: Bokkeveld Shale
• Age of vines: Planted 2003 and 2005
• Plant density: 2222-2500 vines per hectare
• Trellising: Vertical hedge
• Pruning: 2-bud spurs every 15 cm
• Yield: 11.4 t/ha
• Irrigation: Supplementary drip
• Vintage: Drier conditions limited berry mass and subsequently yields, but also ensured outstanding quality
• Grape sugar: 21.0-23.3ºB
• Acidity: 6.5-8.8 g/L
• pH at harvest: 3.3-3.3

WINEMAKING PRACTICES:

• Yeasts: Vin 7 & Alchemy 2
• Fermentation Temperature: 59ºF
• Method: The grapes were gently de-stemmed, pumped through a mash cooler, (Glycol set at 41°F) to cool the fruit down, a dose of pectolytic enzymes as well as a small amount of SO2 to aid in the juice clarification process, prevent oxidation and spontaneous fermentations. Once the press is full, the cycle is started and the juice is moved to a holding tank. Clarification takes place via floatation in the late afternoon and the juice is moved to its fermentation tanks early the following morning. The juice is inoculated with a commercial yeast strain, the ferment runs at 57.2°F, to maintain a progressive yet stable fermentation curve. The wines are left on their gross lees for 6 months, then racked and add a light fining to clean them up a bit for evaluation and then bottled.

ABOUT SUTHERLAND VINEYARDS:
After establishing Thelema Mountain Vineyards as a renowned estate in Stellenbosch, Gyles Webb set out in the early 2000s to craft a new line of small-batch, cool-climate wines. His search for the ideal location led him to a former apple orchard in the Elgin Valley—an area that would become home to Sutherland Vineyards. Located just 9 kilometers from the Atlantic Ocean and ranging from 140 to 250 meters above sea level, Sutherland benefits from its cool maritime climate. These conditions contribute to wines that are beautifully balanced, with remarkable depth and complexity of flavor. Elign was declared a wine ward in 1990, as one of the Cape’s newer appellations. Even though it has a grape cultivation history dating back to the 18th century, it was only recently recognized as a wine ward (designated viticultural area). Learn more about the Elgin wine region here. Learn more about the winery here.

Grilled Halibut

INGREDIENTS:

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat your grill 375ºF.
2. Place the halibut fillet in a shallow baking dish. Combine all of the ingredients for the butter in a small bowl and pour over your halibut fillets.
3. Gently toss the fillet to ensure all sides are evenly coated in the butter. Season all sides with freshly cracked pepper and salt.
4. Moisten a paper towel with cooking oil. Pinch the paper towel between tongs and wipe it on the grates of your grill to prevent the halibut from sticking while it grills.
5. Place the seasoned halibut directly on the grill grates. Close the lid and grill for 5-7 minutes. Flip them, close the lid, and grill until the internal temperature of the halibut reads 145ºF. You want your fish to be opaque and just start to flake.
6. Remove the grilled halibut from the grill. Serve hot with lemon wedges.

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