2017 Cleefs Classic Collection Merlot. The grapes for this wine were sourced from selected parcels of fruit from across the Western Cape.

In 2017 we had a very dry winter season and warm dry conditions early in the growing season but slightly cooler weather in the run up to harvest. It was for this reason that very careful attention was paid to our viticulture practices to ensure optimum ripening conditions in the canopy and to achieve physiological ripeness.

2017 Merlot. The grapes for this wine were sourced from selected parcels of fruit from across the Western Cape.

In 2017 we had a very dry winter season and warm dry conditions early in the growing season but slightly cooler weather in the run up to harvest. It was for this reason that very careful attention was paid to our viticulture practices to ensure optimum ripening conditions in the canopy and to achieve physiological ripeness.

2017 Cabernet Sauvignon. The grapes for this wine were sourced from selected parcels of fruit from across the Western Cape.

In 2017 we had a very dry winter season and warm dry conditions early in the growing season, but slightly cooler weather in the run up to harvest. It was for this reason that very careful attention was paid to our viticulture practices to ensure optimum ripening conditions in the canopy and to achieve physiological ripeness.

2017 Zalze Shiraz Grenache Viognier. The winter preceding the 2017 season was very dry (much like 2016).

As always very careful attention was paid to our viticulture practices to ensure optimum ripening conditions in the canopy and to achieve physiological ripeness, but also to ensure that water stress was never too prevalent. A very careful ‘green harvest' was carried out at veraison to ensure even ripening and a good concentration of flavours.

2017 Zalze Shiraz Mourvedre Viognier. The grapes for this wine were sourced from selected parcels of fruit from across the Western Cape.

Careful attention was paid to our viticulture practices to ensure optimum ripening conditions in the canopy and to achieve physiological ripeness. As always, a very careful ‘green harvest' was carried out just after veraison to ensure even ripening and a good concentration of flavours.

2017 Cleefs Classic Collection Cabernet Sauvignon. The grapes for this wine were sourced from selected parcels of fruit from across the Western Cape.

In 2017 we had a very dry winter season and warm dry conditions early in the growing season, but slightly cooler weather in the run up to harvest. It was for this reason that very careful attention was paid to our viticulture practices to ensure optimum ripening conditions in the canopy and to achieve physiological ripeness.

2017 Cleefs Classic Collection Pinotage. The grapes for this blend come primarily from the Stellenbosch area and are usually augmented with selected parcels from other regions.

The 2017 vintage was warm and dry in the early season with cooler temperature prevailing in the later stages of the ripening period. That said, the dry conditions meant that the fruit was exceptionally healthy and with careful viticulture we still managed to obtain even ripening of the grapes and very good physiological ripeness at harvest.

2018 Cleefs Classic Collection Chardonnay. The 2017 winter was yet another dry one worsening the current drought in the Western Cape. There was early bud break with a moderate summer.

There was a couple of “natural irrigation” (rain) during the growing period that kept the vines healthy and slowed the ripening. Harvest was 2 weeks later than 2017. The higher altitude Stellenbosch vineyards that face False Bay contributed texture and fruit, while the Robertson vineyards generally contributed more minerality owing to the limestone based soils.

2018 Cleefs Classic Collection Chenin Blanc. The grapes for this wine comes from selected vineyards in Stellenbosch and Paarl.

Owing to the nature of bush vines, careful canopy management was exercised so that no bunches were exposed to excessive sunlight and an even ripening of the grapes. A dry winter combined with an early spring led to an early bud break and thus early start to the growing season. The 2018 summer started very warm, but became a moderate to cool vintage with very cool evenings.

2018 Cleefs Classic Collection Sauvignon Blanc. The grapes were sourced primarily from Stellenbosch, however, also sourced from Darling, Durbanville, Sondagskloof and Lutzville.

The common denominator was that all vineyards are found within 15km from the ocean and thus the cooling sea breezes and deep red soils resulted in moderate growth which in turn provided a good canopy development for optimal grape ripening conditions. The 2018 vintage was another very dry one, but was relatively cool.