November 2003
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New Arrival We found a reliable and well priced builder to do the work on the staff cottages. He started in the first week of November and by the end of the month we had completely renovated one and added a stoop to Saansie's. We also knocked down all the other poor buildings and buried the rubble along with various piles of rusted metal, broken glass and plastic bottles. After a bit of landscaping with the bulldozer, a few trees placed in strategic positions, and a bit of imagination the whole staff accommodation area looked fine. The cottage we renovated was to be the new home of Michael and Kaylene, and it was ready just in time to welcome a beautiful, premature but healthy, baby girl home from hospital. We all wish them great health and happiness with the new born and hope that if we are successful in our venture that the little one will have better opportunities than were afforded to her parents. There are a couple of old wild olive trees growing in front of the cottage to give shade in the little garden.
Our vineyards were looking brilliant. At the start of the month flowering was just starting in the bottom Cabernet and Syrah, the vigour was looking okay and the canopies were at a great density. We shall try to maintain this going forward as a very flimsy canopy is suspect to wind damage. The Mourvedre that we changed to a type of bush vine on a pole was also growing nicely, and it really looks like it prefers growing this way. The blocks where we moved the cordon wire down are also growing well, though we will leave forming the cordon arms until later in the season (maybe after harvest) to give them chance to get stronger. The top Cabernet was growing more evenly, and the growth tubes were a great help - many of the vines are already growing out of the tops of the tubes! We had some strong winds but there was no damage in the Syrah - a great relief, as this was quite a problem last year. It is probably due to the fact that the canopies are a bit denser this year, and the leaves have more protection from each other.
By mid November temperatures were hotting up. There were a few days up in the mid thirties. We began irrigating the wind breaks, and gave the vines their first irrigation, along with some compost for the weaker vines. Otherwise in the vineyard the team were busy with canopy management, suckering, tipping and de-weeding. Flowering was in full swing, and it was nice and even. The Cabernet was a bit (5 days) ahead of the Syrah and the warm days and lack of rain were ideal for evenness of flowering and no disease. There was however a bit of wind once again, but even though it did some damage to the younger vines, it was not too serious. There was also quite a lot of vegetative growth on the older Syrah which makes us glad we decided to lower the cordons on the younger vines, as they should eventually be at least as vigorous as the older vines.
We were lucky enough to have a visit from Tim James, a man with a well educated nose and a sharp wit who contributes to Grape Newsletter the formidably independent wine journal of South Africa www.grape.org.sa He is also on the Platters tasting panel and his opinion is well respected internationally. He seemed impressed by what we are trying to achieve, as well as our genuineness towards it all (maybe he was thinking youthful exuberance or naivety but he was too polite). He was also kind enough to do a barrel tasting and seemed surprised by the quality, given we are so young - though he did comment that next season will be the real test to see if we can follow on. We are determined to show him we can do the business in 2004 as well. The SGS audit was postponed once but when the guy did come he spent most of the day going through the records and looking at the farm. We don't know the result, but apart from some further submissions we need to supply it seemed to go well. In the cellar J-C sat down with the builder to talk through the new tank design, that being the unlined concrete tanks. In the end it seemed that the design was a lot more intricate and expensive than we had originally thought. The design was to build plastered brick walls that would be lined with munkador. In this design the lining would help maintain the integrity of the walls but without the lining the builder felt it was risky. Essentially without the lining all that would be left would be simple non-reinforced plastered brick walls. He also felt the plastering would not last more than a few years. The more robust design would be to have the tanks built of solid reinforced concrete, using moulds. This is essentially how the tanks are manufactured in factories in France. The face (outside) of the tanks would still have a layer of brick for aesthetic purposes but this would not be structural. The moulds however need increased time, greater expertise and expensive materials which all add to the costs. After visiting many cellars who ferment in concrete J-C really felt more comfortable with the moulded option. These tanks would be stronger and more reliable than even the munkador lined tanks and as the tanks are going to be the cornerstone of our cellar operation they should be done properly so that they last a seriously long time. In the end we were not completely confident of the linings, and if we have to spend a couple of hundred thousand Rand every few years to re-line them, the solid concrete looked more appealing. J-C laid out the options for us to decide. The first option would be to go with the lined tanks, and build 7 now and the remaining 7 at the end of next year. If we wanted go for this option (and wanted to use the tanks for the 2003 harvest), we would also have to put in seven tank lids, the walkways, the cooling coils, buy a new press and an elevator to get the grapes into and out of the tanks. All before February. The second option was to build the solid tanks in 2004, just after the harvest. This way the job would not have to be rushed, and won't pressurize the 2003 harvest. Building all 14 tanks will also be cheaper per unit than building 7 at a time. One lid can be ordered so that we can do some blending next year in one tank. The remaining lids, cooling system, walkways, press, and lift can be delivered in time for the 2005 harvest. In the end the second option was more appealing. But how would we complete the 2004 harvest? Fortunately we are not going for volume but quality, and as all our decisions have been based on this premise we would have enough space in the plastic bins we bought for the 2003 harvest. We need a long harvest in small batches to fit everything in, but J-C is happy that we can do another "bin" harvest in 2004. He is probably confident because our top cabernet block is still peeping out of growth tubes and he lowered the cordon on the young Syrah which has set it back one year. All in the interests of long term quality but lucky we don't need to live off the proceeds just yet. While other vineyards are cropping eight tons per hectare in the third year we will still be around two and a half. With these decisions made we look forward to a great holiday season with loads of visitors and much wine tasting. TMV hope you all have a great Christmas and that the New Year brings health and happiness.
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