ROXTON by Brampton 2017

Roxton, like his predecessor Brampton, was an imported pedigree bul. In the spirit of bold expressive creativity our flagship wine series showcase winemaker's artists expressions of the Roxton legacy in their own media.

2017 has many winemakers excited about what could well turn out to be a vintage as good as 2015...2017 was dry but without being as hot as 2016, and the vine continues to amaze with its powers of resilience and recovery. The Petit Verdot vineyard is situated in the Helderberg area and has well-drained soils. The Shiraz and Malbec originated from vineyards on weathered granite soils closer to the Atlantic Ocean. These vineyards are all exposed to cool early afternoon sea breezes, enhancing the flavours of the wine.

The grapes were hand-harvested and bunch selection took place in the vineyards. On arrival at the cellar bunches were destemmed and machine-sorted, then cold soaked for 48 hours. Fermentation took place, with frequent but gentle pumpovers ensuring fine tannin extraction. After malolactic fermentation in stainless steel tanks, the Petit Verdot was aged for 16 months in 20% new French oak barrels. The Shiraz and Malbec were aged in older French oak barrels for 12 months.