Kershaw Wines Pinot Noir 'G.P.S. Series', Hemel en Aarde Valley

An elegant and stylish Pinot Noir with a captivating floral aroma, succulent texture and pure fruit flavours of black cherry, pomegranate, rose petal and raspberry. 

Producer Note

Made in tiny quantities, Richard Kershaw MW's wines are always in high demand. Born in Sheffield, Richard trained and worked as a chef before discovering wine. After extensive travelling he settled in South Africa in 1999, and by 2009 he was Group Winemaker at Mulderbosch and Kanu. He established Kershaw Wines in 2012, specialising in the cool-climate wines of Elgin. Being one of the few MW’s to make his own wine, he uses his vast knowledge to craft stunning wines that are easily a match for some of the world’s very best wines. 

Vineyard

The G.P.S. (Grape Positioning System) series is made from exciting small parcels of fruit selected from carefully chosen vineyards outside the Elgin Valley. This Pinot Noir comes from two small parcels grown in a protected lee of the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, a cool climate area renowned for Pinot Noir. Bordered by the Babylonstoren Mountains to the north and the Kleinrivier Mountains to the south, clouds are trapped by the surrounding mountains, retaining cool air and moisture into the valley. The area is also influenced by the Antarctic Benguela current from the Atlantic Ocean, which brings cooling breezes, resulting in cool average summer temperatures. The long hang time builds complex characters with balancing acidity. The vines are French clone PN777 & PN115 which are trellised with an open canopy to maximise sunlight and aid air circulation. The Bokkeveld Shale soils provide excellent drainage and encourage the vines to grow deep, strong root systems. The grapes are hand-picked and manually sorted.

Winemaking

The de-stemmed grapes were transferred to small open-topped fermenters, where a three-day maceration took place, followed by spontaneous fermentation with wild yeasts. Skin contact lasted for 10 to 12 days before the wine was racked by gravity to barrel to undergo malolactic conversion. Maturation in French oak lasted for 10 to 11 months; each clone and soil type was micro vinified as two separate batches, each carefully monitored to ascertain which coopers worked best and how many new and seasoned barrels were used. The average comprised 16.3% new oak; 64.6% was aged in 228-litre barriques and 35.4% in 500-litre casks.

Tasting Note

Captivating floral notes are underscored by purity, focus and freshness. The succulent texture and notes of black cherry, pomegranate, rose petal and raspberry are framed by fine powdery tannins.

Grape

Pinot Noir 100%