Old Chenin Blanc vineyards are planted in well weathered granite derived soils on South facing slopes. They add complexity and structure to the younger and intensely aromatic Viognier and Chardonnay blocks, which are planted in more alluvial soils in the valley. The older vineyards have found balance over the years and rigorous green harvesting and suckering is implemented in the younger vineyards maintaining crop levels between 6-8tons per hectare. Grapes are picked only in the cool, early hours of the morning and are then packed into a cold room to be chilled down further, for processing the following day. The grapes are destemmed directly into the press thereby eliminating pumping of the mash and preventing the extraction of undesired phenolics or astringency. By not crushing the berries the wines retain superior natural acidity and pH. A low pH is an essential factor in the age ability of a wine. All free run juice and press juice are kept separate from each other and treated differently according to their individual character. The wines are all fermented in small stainless steel tanks and are 100% unwooded. This helps promote a refreshing, fruit-driven palate. After fermentation the wines are matured on the yeast lees for a further 7 months, after which the blend is assembled and allowed to settle for another month before bottling.