Within a few minutes from us picking, the grapes still fresh, they are with Hans in the winery to do his magic. He himself empties each bin in the destemmer, and if he still finds a bunch not up to his high standards, it is thrown out. Some berries are crushed, and some are left whole, but all undergo a cold soak, protected, and cooled by dry ice. Part of our Chardonnay is whole bunch pressed and goes straight into the barrel for a natural fermentation. Talk about hands-on craftsmanship!
In the fermentation process, we eschew cultured yeast strains in favour of native yeasts from the vineyard. This reliance on natural yeasts imbues our wines with a true sense of terroir and place. We refrain from the use of enzymes or nutrients, instead placing our trust in sound vineyard practices to yield grape musts teeming with healthy yeasts. While we guide the process, we recognize that the wines, in a sense, chart their own course – resulting in wines that are both complex and captivating.