Groote Post Seasalter 2015

Wine of Origin: Darling

Winery Location:  Darling

Winemaker: Lukas Wentzel

Background: The Groote Post Vineyards bottled their first vintage in 1999 and as a result it is no wonder that they have become a formidable winery in the Darling wine district on the Capes West Coast. Looking back to their entry in the 2000 edition of The John Platter guide you would see a listing of only two wines, namely a Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay both from the 1999 vintage. In 2018 they have no fewer than 16 wines on offer which include the Kapokberg range, Vertical range, MCC range and Old Man’s Blend range.

Co owners and father and son, Peter (or fondly known as “The Old Man”) and Nick Pentz, are no strangers to the Darling area. Peter Pentz owned and successfully managed Union Dairy Farms and in 1998 it was no surprise that he was awarded South Africa’s Farmer of the Year.  Several years ago Peter sold their high quality Holsten Dairy herd which ended the 97 years of the Pentz family being in the dairy and milk business.

Peter, a dedicated conservationist, was one of the driving forces behind the establishment of the Cape West Coast Biosphere Reserve which stretches from the Milnerton Lagoon to Langebaan. The Reserve includes Groote Post which alone has 2000 hectares of conservation-worthy natural vegetation.

The man behind the wines is Lukas Wentzel who is almost part of the family at Groote Post as he has been responsible for the wine production here since 2000! So it is no wonder that Lucas has an intimate understanding of his vines  and the different terroirs they have on the farm. As a result he has fine tuned each of the vineyards so that he is ensured he receives the finest fruit for each specific cultivar grown on the farm.

A new arrival to their range is the Seasalter 2015, a blend of 73% Sauvignon Blanc / 27% Semillon. After fermentation 50% of the Sauvignon Blanc was aged for 4 months in a single 500 litre French Oak barrel, prior to blending. Lukas says “The Seasalter embodies the Darling minerality that is so prominent in the white wines produced off the Darling Hills and this minerality is the culmination of the interplay of slope, soil, climate and proximity to the icy Atlantic Ocean”.

Result: Rich, subtly powerful, this Sauvignon-Semillon blend hints at citrus, waxiness and a gentle kiss of oak. An astoundingly complex and satisfying wine.

When to drink: now till 2021

Drink with what: Prawn ravioli

Expect to pay: R261.00