V i t i c u l t u r e

The Tulbagh Valley

s i t u a t e d i n t h e W e s t e r n C a p e P r o v i n c e 1 2 0 k m n o r t h - e a s t o f C a p e T o w n

Shaped like an inverted horse-shoe, it is surrounded by mountains on three sides: flanked to the east by the Witzenberg mountains, capped by the Groot Winterhoek range on the northern side and to the west lies the Obiqua range, of which Saronsberg mountain forms a part. Access to the valley is only possible from the open southern side, which allows the prevailing south-eastern summer wind to generate airflow and cool down the valley. Cooler air generated by cold air flowing down the surrounding mountains at night also accumulates on the valley floor, effectively trapping the cold air. Situated 80 km off the Atlantic coast, the valley’s climate is generally continental, enjoying Mediterranean summers and cold, wet winters. Depending on where you find yourself in the Tulbagh valley, you will encounter different terroir units, mainly due to the elevation, aspect and slope variations of the mountains and valley floor.

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We are fortunate in that Saronsberg as a farm consists of two portions (Waveren and Welgegund) that stretch from the middle of the valley up to Saronsberg mountain. The two furthest points suited to viticulture are about four kilometres apart from one another and are situated in two different micro-climates. Owing to these differences we have set upon replanting much of the existing vineyards, utilising the different micro-climates to their full potential to produce unique terroir-driven wines.

Saronsberg’s soils can be broadly classified into three categories depending on their location:

  • Mountain foot slopes (Welgegund farm against Saronsberg mountain)
  • Deposited boulder beds and sandy-loam alluvial soils (Waveren farm around the Klein Berg River); and
  • Mid-valley shales (Waveren farm towards the centre of the Tulbagh valley)
In addition to its natural beauty,

S a r o n s b e r g s l o c a t i o n w a s c a r e f u l l y c h o s e n f o r t h e u n i q u e d i v e r s i t y o f i t s t e r r o i r .

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Usually the wines produced from the Welgegund vineyards have more floral notes with enhanced elegance. These wines form the foundation of our Provenance range and also serve as blending components in our Saronsberg range.

A premier region

T h e T u l b a g h V a l l e y

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Waveren lies in the centre of Tulbagh valley and most of its 350 hectares can be cultivated. The Klein Berg River that forms the farm’s western border is flanked by deep hydromorphic sandy alluvial soils and hydromorphic sandy loam duplex soils; these run into boulder beds deposited millennia ago when the river was considerably larger than today. Due to the fertility of the soils, we do not plant vineyards here; but rather olive and fruit orchards instead.

The vineyards found on Waveren are planted on the mid-valley medium-deep soils that have developed from Pre-Cambrian age Malmesbury shale. The aspect is moderate east with an average height of 160 to 185 meters above sea level. The rainfall is 500 – 600 mm per year, mostly from June to September. The general wind direction is southeast, providing most of the cooling effect in the afternoons. The wind velocity is generally more intense than against the mountain but of shorter duration.

The grapes from Waveren

f o r m t h e b a c k b o n e o f t h e S a r o n s b e r g r a n g e

as we get more concentrated colour and flavour with a firm tannin structure.

Initially, a complete soil and temperature analysis of all the potential vineyard sites was done on both farms to determine their suitability for grape production. This information was used to decide which cultivars, clones and rootstock combinations were to be planted on the specific sites to maximise grape quality.

We utilise these differences in soil, temperature conditions and clone/rootstock combinations between the two farms to produce wines with varying flavour profiles, which provides us with more blending options. The resulting wines have a broader, layered flavour profile with more depth. The soils selected had similar characteristics, such as good drainage, good water retention, good aeration and inducing moderate vigour.

Prior to planting the soils were prepared by heavy machinery that ripped and shift-ploughed the earth, thus loosening the soil to enable proper root penetration and assisting in the amelioration of lime additions to optimise the soil pH.

Due to our focus on blends, we grow a variety of cultivars. Shiraz is the main cultivar comprising fifty percent of all plantings. The rest are Grenache, Mourvèdre, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Viognier, Nouvelle, Chenin Blanc, Semillon and Muscat de Frontignan. These cultivars are all planted with a variety of clones to provide us with greater flavour and structure diversity in our wines. All the vineyards are also grafted onto rootstocks with Mgt 101-14 being the predominant rootstock. Others include Richter 110 and 99 depending on the soil composition. Most of the vineyards are also “mother” vineyards ensuring that we have got the best virus-free material available.

Supplemental irrigation is sparsely used since we have adopted a regime of keeping vines under moderate water stress, thereby concentrating the flavours by inducing smaller berries. This is why we give no water until veraison. After veraison, we might do a 25 – 35 mm irrigation depending on the available soil water. This should be sufficient for ripening the grapes without negatively affecting wine quality. After harvest, the vines will usually receive one or two irrigations of 30 mm each. Irrigation is only used to increase or maintain the potential wine quality and not to increase yields. To achieve this all the vineyards are managed separately.

Disease control is done preventatively by spraying for powdery and downy mildew. This spraying programme is adjusted to each vintage requirement, and due to our drier continental climate, we can usually reduce our spraying frequency to a minimum. We only use registered products that have the least impact on our environment. This is strictly monitored by the IPW (Integrated Production of Wine) management system unique to South Africa, ensuring that our management practices comply with strict international requirements and promote sustainable farming. Apart from the small antelope and hares on the farm, there are no “pests” that are of economic importance. However, we encourage the wildlife as it is an integral part of the farm and the little they take we see as a part of our contract with nature. The first crop will usually be harvested after the third year. In the earlier years, the yield had to be kept very low so as not to overstress the young vines. Harvesting is done by hand – we usually start with Chardonnay destined for our MCC and finish with Mourvédre.

experiences

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