Keermont Terrasse 2023

Terrasse (pronounced ta-ras-ah), is our barrel fermented white blend which is named after the terraced vineyards leading up the Helderberg and Stellenbosch mountainsides on the estate. We have six different white wine varieties planted on these terraces and every year we make up a unique blend. It changes year to year, depending on what the vintage gives us. The core component is always Chenin blanc from our dryland bush vine Bobbejaan Wingerd (Baboon Vineyard), and the trellised Low Road vineyard. Chardonnay gives the blend some weight on the palate, Sauvignon blanc from our dryland vineyard ‘Uitkyk’ (planted in 1988) brings fresh acidity, and the drops of Roussanne, Marsanne, and Viognier give a slight spicy, aromatic lift. Small batches of grapes are selected according to ripeness, harvested by hand and vinified separately. Terrasse is fermented by indigenous yeast in seasoned French oak barrels and then spends a further 12 months maturing on the lees. Bottling is carried out by hand with minimal fining or filtration.

The 2023 vintage will be remembered as one of the wettest growing seasons that we have had at Keermont. We had a nice cold and wet winter which set the vines on a good course. Spring saw warm conditions with regular rain, ideal for the development of the vine shoots and bunches. The season seemed to be drying out in November and the growth slowed down dramatically. In December we had a wave of cold fronts bringing in more rain and the vineyards started growing again giving the vineyard team lots of canopy work to do to prepare for harvest. Despite all the rain, we were able to stay on top of our schedule and establish healthy crops of grapes on the vines. Harvest started at the end of January, a fairly normal time for us to start picking. Regular showers of rain during harvest meant that we needed to stop and start to give the vineyards a chance to dry out. Harvest lasted about seven weeks and we processed 89 tons in the winery. The grapes were healthy and the young wines are tasting beautiful with great elegance.

12 months

46% Chenin Blanc; 15% Chardonnay; 15% Sauvignon Blanc; 10% Roussanne; 12% Viognier; 2% Marsanne

5 stars PLATTER GUIDE
90 pts NEAL MARTIN (VINOUS)
93 pts TIM ATKIN (MW)