Translated, DeMorgenzon means simply ‘the morning sun’ and was so named because it is the first part of the Stellenboschkloof Valley to see the sun due to its high altitude and aspect.
Famous for their ‘Maestro’ blends and Reserve Chenin Blanc; since 2008 Baroque music has been piped into the vineyards all day, every day. The effects of sound and music on plant growth is an intriguing subject, the energy of the sound waves rather than the sounds themselves serving to stimulate and nurture the growing vines. A number of experiments have taken place over time which assess these claims and the effects, though in their statistical infancy, point towards an increase in vigour, root growth and general vine health. Once the harvest has completed and the wines have been placed into barrel, music is again streamed throughout DeMorgenzon’s cellars, surrounding the wines in rich sound waves, permeating the oak and steel as they travel, with every single note.
Nowhere else in South Africa is the marriage of music and the fruit of the vine taken so seriously, no doubt influenced by owners Wendy and Hylton Appelbaum (who was responsible for the creation of Classic FM South Africa back in 1997).
A cold, wet winter preceding the 2021 growing season resulted in delayed budburst and a similarly delayed harvest. Flavour development peaked early resulting in full-flavoured, ripe styled Chenin Blanc with healthy levels of natural acidity this year.
Cool, early morning harvested grapes were destemmed, crushed, then pressed and the juice settled until clear. Fermentation occurred spontaneously without the addition of commercial yeasts in a combination of stainless steel tanks and old French oak barrels. The resulting wines were racked and sulphured prior to blending and the final blend left on fine yeast lees for maturation until bottling.
