Today we are processing the last of our red grapes.   It has been a long picking season for us; the Shiraz and Cab Sav especially took their time in ripening.  Sugars were high enough a good 2-3 weeks ago but they just were not ready to be taken back then.  An often frustrating wait until this week when they ripened up beautifully and the flavours and tastes came together perfectly.   Picking went well with a nice cloud cover keeping the temperatures down and the picking teams full of ‘gees’.

The last remaining grapes we are waiting for are the Semillon for our white port; but they are a good few weeks away from being ready.

On the sales side we have been sending out a few cases to the RealTimeWine SuperFans   If you would like a great application to enhance your drinking experience its a great app and I enjoy rating and reviewing the wines I enjoy drinking from time to time.

We have put together a sample case of 6 bottles, which is available via our online store.  A great deal at R550 including delivery.  Get them while they last, they wont be available for much longer.

On the horizon for new releases are the Cloudfall 2010, Semillon 2009 and a beautiful Cab Franc 2008 (only 450 magnums).   If you would like to taste any of these wines pre-release please be in touch and I will gladly open up the cellar for you.

White grapes have seemed to struggle to pick up sugar over the last few weeks.  We have experienced some heavy rainfalls, extreme cold and winds.  This for February! Usually our hottest month.  Hence my prediction will be for some decent low alchohol whites, and a few stunning reds in the pipeline. We picked our Semillon block down at La Petite Dauphine this morning, and its been quite a relief to finally have some grapes going through the cellar.  So far so good!

One down and a few to go.  If you would like to visit us during harvest and see how the magic is made at Haut Espoir then please get in touch.  Always available, if we dont pick up the phone, leave a message, facebook or twitter or email, we make your experience well worthwhile.

Cheers for Harvest 2013!

And for a tiny hint at what is in store, here is the menu, delicious food and wine, great people and good times ahead!

The festival will be open from 12pm until 5pm, and tickets cost R180 per person, which includes a tasting of all the wines on show.

Tickets can be purchased online directly from www.webtickets.co.za, and booking is essential as tickets are limited to 350 people only.

Those wishing to spend the night will be spoilt for choice with accommodation ranging from the finest bed and breakfasts to luxurious boutique hotels, all nestling in a picturesque and safe environment.

For more information or bookings contact the Franschhoek Wine Valley office on 021 876 2861 or office@franschhoek.org.za. Join our Facebook page or follow us on Twitter at #fhkwinter.

COMPETITION! To stand a chance of winning two tickets to Franschhoek Winter Wines, please visit the Franschhoek Wine Valley Facebook page and answer the following question on our wall: “Where will Franschhoek Winter Wines be held on 4 August 2012?” or re-tweet the following on Twitter: “Win 2 tickets to Franschhoek Winter Wines! re-tweet & visit www.franschhoek.org.za #FHKWinter”

Entries close on Tuesday 31 July 2012 at 14h00.

Really strong apple and honey flavours, and a nice tonnage as well.     The only problem we encountered with the grapes was surprisingly thin skins, which pushed the pressing time late into the night.  Apart from that the juice behaved perfectly and is now a delicious wine.  We fermented it all in tank this year, and will be taking a little to barrels for our straight Semillon, and the rest of the tank fermented wine will be kept for the Cloudfall.

Straight after picking the Semillon, the weather started messing around.  We had serious cold conditions and a few spots of rain here and there, so much so that we managed a quick jaunt up to one of my favourite spots, the Cederberg.  This isn’t a travel site and supposed to be a harvest update, but I have to let you know about Pakhuys wines.

 It is an amazing place, stunning Shiraz and the perfect place to have a sip of the good stuff and enjoy the amazing views.   Do yourself a favour and pop in and meet Connie and Liz, great people doing fantastic things up in the Cederberg.

The next grapes to come up to the cellar on the 1^st March were from the Viognier blocks from La Petite Dauphine and Clementine Cottage.   The grapes were delicious this year and we got a good crop.  The wine has just started fermenting, and the aromas of Rooibos tea and peaches are filling the cellar.  I am really happy with the Viognier this year.

And then the following week we got klapped with the reds.  Both the Merlot and the Shiraz got ready on the same day.  So we were literally swamped with the farms red fruit.   The Merlot is now sitting in our two big red fermenters, undergoing regular pump overs.

And its tasting good and strong, great flavour coming off the juice at this stage and I am looking forward to getting these two big tanks fermenting in a day or two.

And onto my pride and joy, the Shiraz.  We got a little less than I was hoping for this year, with heavy winds and a few storms during flowering time last year.  The baboons have also done their fair bit to lighten the tonnage.  (We don’t mind too much, they obviously know quality) We managed to fill up 12 bins, and I am going to open ferment them.   We put whole bunches on the bottom of each bin and we are now regularly mixing each bin by hand.

Here is a snap of Evans elbows in and looking like he is having a blast.  If you ever want a decent upper body workout come and have a try at mixing one of the bins!

And of course the normal farm life never stops; our borehole chose the best possible time to stop working. And we had a call out to a house, to come and investigate a “small yellow snake”. Thanks to Richard Parkfelt he managed to remove the Cobra from behind the bookcase and released into the Fynbos. (There was no way I was going to attempt this massive snake on my own)

This was a beautiful snake, really chilled out and relaxed.  If you would like to see more pop over to our Flickr Page for more snaps of life on the Farm.

And if you would like to come and experience a bit of the magic that makes up Haut Espoir give us call on 021 876 4000, or get in touch on Twitter and make a time to come and visit.  Bring a towel and a strong constitution.  I have just got a fresh batch of buchu brandy on the go…..

We only have the Cabernet hanging so make it quick, you do not want to miss Haut Espoir in  the full swing of harvest!

We have gone with a touch of blue. I think it add’s a nice element to an already appealing label.  But I am a bit biased of course….

   There have been a few noticeable changes on the farm, firstly our website and its sleek new design and layout, the addition of an online store, allowing you to order our wines with less hassle.   Thanks to the team at Quickonline, Lara and Francois and their crew did an amazing job getting us off our feet with a fantastic new web presence.   Big thanks to Raoul who steered the online ship for us in the past to get us to this point.  Nice job team!

Now to movements on the farm.  Our long serving winemaker Nikey has left the employment of Haut Espoir, and we are going to continue our winemaking passion with as much aplomb as he showed us over the last seven years.  There have been many rumours coming to our attention about the future of the farm and our plans; I can assure you that we are continuing to make wine here at Haut Espoir. All that has changed is our winemaker has moved on, and we plan on focusing our efforts to a more biodynamic farming approach and getting more Fynbos planted on the farm in the vineyard blocks which are not producing the quality we need.  Apart from that it is business unusual for us.

On the wine side, we can expect the release of our first White Blend, The Cloudfall 2009 shortly, as well as new vintages of the ever popular Shiraz Rose 2010.   The Gentle Giant is literally flying out of the cellar so to avoid disappointment, please make use of our online site and order before it is gone.