Diemersdal “The Journal” Pinotage 2020

An inventory found in an old leather-bound book dating back to 1702 lists forty five wine barrels, a wine press and glass bottles, indicating that wine has been made on the Diemersdal Estate for over three centuries. Named after a previous owner, Captain Diemer, Diemersdal has been home to six generations of Louws who have practiced winemaking since the estate passed into their hands in 1885. More than twelve decades later, Diemersdal – situated on the slopes of the Dorstberg Mountain, with Table Mountain in the background – is a well-known landmark in the lush Durbanville Valley, one of the Cape’s oldest wine regions. The farm covers 340 hectares of land, with 180 of those under vine. The rest consists of grazing land, as well as a sizeable area of Renosterveld, one of the most threatened vegetation types in the world and an asset those at Diemersdal work hard to conserve.

The grapes that go into Diemersdal Wines are grown under optimal conditions, in deep red Hutton soils, featuring decomposed granite and a high clay content. The vineyards, situated on the northern and southern slopes of the Dorstberg, are subject to cooling mists that roll in each afternoon from the Atlantic Ocean. The grapes are grown under dryland conditions, with no irrigation, which allows them to uniformly ripen and develop concentrated flavours. The combination of excellent soil, varying aspect, slopes and the high rainfall of 700mm per year all contribute to the uniqueness of Diemersdal Wines.

Tight bunches of small berries were carefully hand harvested. The grapes were crushed and fermented in one ton open French oak “kuipe” at 25–28˚C. Malolactic fermentation in seasoned French oak barrels before racking.
Maturation in 100% new 225L French oak barrels for twenty two months.