2013 marks our fourth vintage and as the vines mature so does the character and quality of the fruit produced by these vineyards. It’s familiar profile of pineapple, elder flower and green apple are evident in the aroma of the wine. On the palate, as with previous vintages is shows a balanced fruit acidity, fresh coastal characteristics and that ever familiar lingering minerality. This year also that typical South African Sauvignon blanc characters of freshly cut grass and fynbos are there at every welcome sip. Serve chilled at 10-12 ̊C. It will open up well in the glass and can be enjoyed as an aperitif or matched with seafood, chicken, lightly spiced or fragrant dishes.
Technical Analysis
Alcohol: 13.14% Residual Sugar: 1.6 g/l Total Acidity: 6.6 g/l pH: 3.36
Harvested 25th February and 8/9 March 2013 Bottled: 9th October 2013 Ageing potential: 3-4 years
Production: 11,070 bottles (750ml)
Harvest Report
The Seven Springs harvest season had never started so late, for producers across the Western Cape it was not only late but also around two weeks shorter than usual. The prolonged winter conditions had continued well into September in some areas and was followed by a cool spring, with the occasional rains and even floods on some farms. These cold, wet weather conditions ensured even bud burst across the vineyard, and the accumulation of water allowed the vines to cope with the warmer conditions later in the season.
The vineyards had good growth in ideal dry weather conditions during flowering and whilst the fruit set, which happens around late October early November. We experienced none of the customary gale force winds which often prevail early in the season and the grapevines were able to flourish, but the southeaster was out in force throughout December.
From mid January until April the conditions were hot and dry, making it a challenging year with respect to irrigation management. The ripening period was dry and warm, keeping our harvest season quite short.
Watch our video, listen to what our Winemaker has to say about Seven Springs Sauvignon Blanc 2013
https://7springs.co.za/site/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/OTM-Sauv-blanc-generic-1.jpg315165Timhttps://7springs.co.za/site/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/7Springs2.pngTim2013-01-10 19:02:332016-12-18 18:24:22Over the Mountain Sauvignon Blanc 2013
International Wine & Spirits Competition 2016 – SILVER
Tasting Notes
As the vineyards show more maturity so does the wine. Garnet in colour, the wine offers opulent aromas of raspberries and sour cherries. The oak, as always, is subtle and understated, supporting the fruit driven profile of this wine. The 2013 has a leaner mouth feel than previous vintages, but the palate is still smooth and medium bodied, with refined and pure fruit characters. To enjoy it fully we suggest you decant the wine at least an hour before drinking and serve at 16-18 ̊C or as a light red for summer you can serve it at 10-12°C. It can be enjoyed with a variety of foods; such as a mushroom risotto, duck and game dishes or simply on its own.
Technical Analysis
Alcohol: 13.67% Residual Sugar: 1.7 g/l Total Acidity: 5.9 g/l pH: 3.39
Harvested 12th & 13th February 2013 Bottled: January 2014 Ageing potential: 5-7 years
Production: 12,600 bottles (750ml)
Harvest Report
The start of the growing season was cool, with a quite a few overcast days and regular showers. None of the customary gale force winds prevailed early in the season and the grapevines were able to flourish, but the south
Easter was out in force throughout December.
Hardly any rain was recorded from mid-November, and with unrelenting heat from January onwards, producers were challenged by particularly tricky irrigation management. The ripening period was dry and warm making it a bit more condensed for us
Watch our video, listen to what our Winemaker has to say about Seven Springs Pinot Noir 2013
https://7springs.co.za/site/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/OTM-PINOT-NOIR-Marcel-2012-1-e1512054576338.jpg330125Timhttps://7springs.co.za/site/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/7Springs2.pngTim2013-01-10 18:57:012017-11-30 15:10:14Over the Mountain Pinot Noir 2013
Deep rich red / purple in the glass, this wine reflects the bright fruit flavours of mulberry and blueberry. Its perfume of smoky spices, pepper and woodland undertones, gives way to a well-structured palate, sumptuous, full of flavour with a smooth decadent, lingering dark chocolate finish. A great match with and beef, venison and spiced lamb dishes, blue cheese and even dark chocolate pots.
Harvested by hand on 5th, 7th and 9th March 2012
Total production: 10,740 bottles (750ml)
Bottled: September 2013
Ageing potential: 10-12 years
Harvest Report
Harvested on 3 different days, picking at optimum ripeness, the fruit was transported to the winery, processed and transferred to stainless steel tanks. Dry ice was added to the fruit processed on 5th and 7th to slow down oxidation and help keep the fruit cool. It was then left to ‘cold soak’ for two days by which time the juice had taken on an intense purple colour and aromas of blackcurrent and mint. The wine was fermented in the tanks, with twice daily pump-overs to aerate the wine and supply oxygen to the yeast. The wine was then moved to 2nd and 3rd fill French oak barrels and left to mature for 15 months.
The fruit processed on the 9th was put in a separate tank as whole bunches. It did not undergo ‘cold-soak’. The must was inoculated and left to ferment dry, after which the wine was left on the skins for a few days, giving extended skin contact. It was pressed and put into barrel to age, with blending in early 2013.
The Syrah vines were planted in 2007 on the north facing slope at 240 meters elevation. Syrah is known for its spicy and smoky flavours coming from the oak barrels and the clones selected. Clones SH1C and SH21K give the resulting wine a berry profile with spicy undertones. Clone SH9C also gives a smoky and spicy profile but given that it is used in only a small part of the Syrah vineyard, (with only 1.3 tons of the total 15 tons -10%) it has a big impact on the whole production. This clone is also part of the selection for the magnums to be released in late 2015.
Seven Springs Syrah was excellent in the previous 2010 vintage, but I confess that this Gold Medal winner is even better and is a hugely promising portent as the vines age. Deep and vibrant in colour, the nose is just gorgeous, the wisp of cracked stone, the slick of black fruit and the background of flowers – violet creams even – white pepper and gentle earthiness. The palate is flooded with ripe, silky black fruit, but not at all jammy or overblown. Despite 14.5% alcohol, this has genuine freshness with a crispness to the tannin and acid framework, and the pin-point precision of the black fruit pushing through in a finely-tuned finish.
https://7springs.co.za/site/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/OTM-Syrah-generic.jpg315169Timhttps://7springs.co.za/site/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/7Springs2.pngTim2013-01-10 18:51:432016-12-18 18:36:07Over the Mountain Syrah 2012
Seven Springs Syrah 2010 technical Description
This Syrah, produced in our vineyard’s cool ocean influenced climate, is refined, delightfully complex and truly fragrant. Produced from very young vines, the wine was aged for 12 months in second and third year French oak barrels. This ensures the oak influences are understated and allow the opulent dark cherry and red berry flavours to dominate, along with hints of pepper and spice. On the palate it is rich and textured.
Reviews The Wine Gang: The Wine Gang in the UK wrote this about our Syrah on the 17th July 2012.
Seven Springs, Syrah 2010
Overberg (South Africa) Red (Screwcap) 14% ABV
Seven Springs burst onto the scene with an excellent Sauvignon Blanc last year, but this Syrah from young vines planted in the Overberg region is new. The nose is opulently rich and crammed with plum and red berry fruit. Ageing in older French barrels adding some spice and delicate smokiness, with a hint of crisply-grilled bacon fat. On the palate it is fresh and vibrant, with real depth but bounding youthfullness and ocean-influenced clarity. 90/100 TweetCritique: The instantaneously recognisable aroma of black cherries was amazing, fairly young for a Syrah no doubt but the almost cherry menthol flavour was sublime, the lingering cherry aftertaste testament to a fine wine. The Seven Springs wine collection I tasted belied their maturity. Each wine held a surprise of its own. The construction of the wine is bold and creative and in my opinion Seven Springs wine is bound to grow even further in its popularity. Joanna Simon – Wine and Food Glenda Van Blerk – CapeTownWineBlog Colin Smith – Grapefan Mike Matthews, Magics Wine Guide
Technical analysis
Do you need more information on the specific wine? Download our technical sheet Seven Springs Syrah 2010
Video Reviews
Short video review by Simon Woods
Other Videos
Here is a short video of what you can expect from the 2012 vintage in future
Description
Produced from young vines our Pinot Noir is sophisticated and full of character. It is bright and vibrant in colour with a beautiful balanced red berry flavour, a hint of spice, and an excellent finish. It is a very versatile food wine and will match perfectly with mushroom, duck, beef, lamb or pork dishes.
Reviews Review by Decanter: Decanter Magazine had this to say about our Pinot Noir in their August 2013 edition.
Seven Springs, Pinot Noir, Overberg, South Africa 2011. This is the inaugural release of Seven Springs’ Pinot Noir. A fabulously attractive, versatile wine, it’s laden with ripe black cherries with leafy underbrush notes and hints of Black Forest gâteau, before unwinding to a fresh finish. 17pts/20 (90/100pts) TweetCritique: This is a young and vibrant Pinot Noir, light in colour and a nose that is just pure raspberry. The flavour is full and lingering with fruitiness being the prominent feature – a really special and exciting wine. Pieter – Cork and Wine – Wine Spirit and fine living Richard Saxton – The Grape crusader Denise Medrano – RedWine.co.uk
Video Review
Video Review by Simon Woods
Video
Short video of what to expect of our 2012 Pinot Noir
Very pale in the glass, this wine is bright, light and fresh. With no exposure to oak the true characteristics of the Chardonnay grape have been retained. It is delicate and well balanced with citrus fruit and melon flavours. There are also hints of the natural South African flora, such as proteas and ericas, which grow on the mountain above the vineyard. Great to drink on its own or a great match with seafood, especially shellfish and chicken.
Harvested by hand on 21st February 2012
Total production: 6,800 bottles (750ml)
Bottled: July 2012
Ageing potential: 4-6 years
Harvest Report
The Chardonnay vines are planted on the cooler, south facing slope, in the lowest lying area on the farm at 200 meters elevation. It experiences a mush higher water table than other parts of the vineyard and as a result there is rarely need to irrigate during the season. Seven Springs Vineyard use clone 76 for their Unoaked Chardonnay. This clone’s typical organoleptic characteristics include peach and citrus. The yield is also higher than the clones used for the oaked Chardonnay.
Harvesting at optimal ripeness for the Seven Springs Unoaked Chardonnay, meant picking the grapes at lower sugar levels than for the oaked Chardonnay. This way the fresh fruit aromas and fresh acidity on the palate was retained. Picked early in the morning, with first sorting taking place in the vineyard, the fruit was processed to a clear juice and then inoculated with commercial yeast for a clean ferment. The yeast was specifically chosen to enhance and express the natural characteristics of the Chardonnay fruit. After two weeks the alcoholic fermentation was complete and, like the Sauvignon Blanc, was left on the lees (dead yeast cells). The lees were stirred regularly to aid in the development of the mouth-feel of the wine.
This wine vied with others in the Seven Springs portfolio as my most enjoyable. Fermented and aged in stainless steel, it is its ripeness and lees contact that gives such a lovely aroma: crushed almond melds with lemon-meringue pie, all sorts of luscious hints, but with a core of steely precision. On the palate it is full-textured and weighty, with fat lemon and lime fruit and fruit-skin tang, lots of those waxy peel notes and lovely length and concentration. Hints of spices and honeyed sweetness play against savoury and decisive, dry acidity in the finish.
Description
Produced with no exposure to oak barrels, allowing full expression of the fruit from very young vines. It has a truly tropical perfume and personifies summer in a wine glass with aromas of pineapple and passion fruit. On the palate it is rich and textured with a lingering minerality balanced with beautiful fruit flavours.
Review
This is what Tom Cannavan from the UK wrote about the wine.
“As it says on the label, a Chardonnay fermented in steel tanks with no exposure to oak, and a new product in Seven Springs’ range, showing a restless need to explore the potential of their young vines and this terroir. There’s an elegant perfume to this wine, with a little blossom or peach-skin fragrance, some dry apple fruit notes and a hint of something stony and mineral. On the palate it is juicy and led by citrus and underripe apple – a quite steely, in some ways quite austere, but there is a burgeoning sense of creaminess and those peachy tones beneath the citrus tang. A nice wine that would be joyous with some pan-fried mullet or seabass” Unoaked Chardonnay 2011 Miguel Chan Wine Journal Joanna Simon – Wine and Food Colin Smith – Grapefan
The Seven Springs Sauvignon Blanc continues to develop each year and yet retains its familiar fruit profile and mineral characteristics. Pale in the glass it has delightful aromas of pineapple, white peach and elderflower. There is an explosion of flavours on the palate that reveal a wine with true elegance and balance. As with all the Seven Springs wines this stays with you until you take your next sip. A great match for seafood and chicken, lightly spiced, Thai style dishes but also easy to drink on its own.
Harvested: 14& 23 February 2012 Bottled: July 2012 Total Production: 12,700 bottles (750ml) Ageing Potential: 4-6 years
Harvest Report
The Seven Springs Sauvignon Blanc enjoyed ideal weather conditions for ripening in February and March, being cool and dry meant the ripening was slow and mellow. As always picking started early in the morning to preserve the delicate aroma components that are typical and particularly appealing in Sauvignon Blanc. Sorting took place in the vineyard, with pickers placing the selected bunches in small crates to avoid crushing before reaching the winery.
The grapes were not sorted again on reaching the winery and the juice from the crushed fruit was processed reductively (keeping oxygen away during pressing and settling). The must was inoculated with yeasts VIN7, 13 and ALCHEMY 2 and cold fermented in stainless steel tanks. After alcoholic fermentation it was left on the lees lfor 3 months, being stirred once a week to aid in the development of the texture on the palate. It also helped to “soften” the acid component.
As with their earlier releases, this is a Sauvignon Blanc that nods towards Europe as much as it does towards New Zealand in terms of its pitch and style. The nose is relatively subdued, offering citrus and a creamy suggestion of roundness and concentration. On the palate there is only a trace of elderflower or gooseberry herbaceousness – this Sauvignon seems to be more about texture and cool orchard fruit character, with a lovely freshening thrust of lemon and lime in the finish.
Description
Aromas of apples and peaches with fresh lime on the palate ending with a crisp fruit acidity. This is what UK wine writer Jamie Goode had to say about the wine – ”Pure aromatics with some rich pear and peach notes as well as citrus freshness” – “a sophisticated wine of real quality”
Description
Our second Sauvignon Blanc vintage continues in the Seven Springs style. The wine has a delicate perfume, tantalizing ripe fruit on the palate with good lingering minerality. Enjoy ripe apples and peaches with hints of the natural vegetation of the area, fynbos , and fresh herbs. It is a light, refreshing wine.
Reviews
Leading South African wine writer Angela Lloyd wrote: “As pale and bright as one would expect of a young wine, it has great presence without being showy thanks to the purity and restraint of its more tropical style fruit. A year in the bottle has polished the edginess of extreme youth without diminishing the wine’s vitality and freshness, such attributes being enriched by lees ageing. This gives a sense of weight without lessening the gentle, pure fruit and clean, dry finish. Unlike many sauvignons, it’s just as happy enjoyed solo as paired with fresh, unfussy dishes. Ingrid agrees with me, describing it as gentle, charming and graceful.”
