De Grendel’s 2022 harvest has set a record for the largest intake to date but, more than quantity, it is the early signs of excellent quality that have the De Grendel winemaking team in optimistic spirits about the new vintage.
With De Grendel Sauvignon Blanc 2022 already bottled and the rest of the 2022 vintage in various stages of maturation in the cellar, De Grendel cellar master Charles Hopkins and assistant winemaker Morgan Steyn reflected on the high points and challenges of harvest 2022.
“Overall, the experience from growing season through to harvest was very good, and the quality of the harvest was above what we would consider average.
“Late winter and spring rains in the area were very beneficial, ensuring good soil moisture. Unfortunately, we experienced unexpected heat spikes over three consecutive weekends in January. This was our greatest challenge, and quite critical since it took place during the ripening process, leading to slightly lower acid concentrations in the grapes.
“Fortunately though, we are blessed at De Grendel with the cooling effect of the nearby ocean which off-set the extreme heat spikes and our grapes were still excellent,” said Hopkins.
While it’s too early to call the quality of the reds of 2022, said Steyn, the team are pleased with the quality of Shiraz grapes from a new vineyard in Stellenbosch as well as the first Shiraz harvest from grafted young vines on De Grendel – boding well for De Grendel Shiraz 2022.