2017 South African Woman’s Wine Awards - Gold
Gold Wine Awards - Gold
Vitis Vinifera 2016 - Gold
Terroir: Vineyards strategically planted on South-West facing slopes to capture cool breezes from the Atlantic Ocean and cold Benguela current. Deep soils from decomposed granite, clay rich, with good drainage.
Vineyard type: Bush Vine, no irrigation
Yield: 3-4 ton/ha
Balling at Harvest: 21° - 22°B
Vinification: Crush and destalk, 14 days fermentation at 14-15°C. Grapes and juice handled reductively to prevent oxidation and lock in fruitiness.
Maturation: Left on lees for 2 months to add complexity
The recent demarcation of the Darling district has led to a focus at Darling Cellars on wines which are terroir and varietal specific. The cool and temperate West Coast climate lends itself to a different micro- and mesoclimate which, along with the different types of soil, lead to unique grapes, which we guide into even more unique wines. Having 99% of all vineyards dry land and almost the same percentage as bush vine, this is as close to what nature intended for grapes to be as one can get.
Darling Cellars Reserve is a wine range of straight varietals where the focus is on fruit driven, varietal true, value for money wines.