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Recent Cape Vintages
Vintages are relatively similar. Hot, dry summers are the norm.
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2001 |
An even smaller crop than the already reduced 2000 vintage, with an increase in quality. Red: Some excellent wines, massively fruity and concentrated, possibly with great potential. White: Producers available to time picking between heat waves have delivered stylish whites packed with flavor and distinguished by high alcohols. Superb Sauvignon's.
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2000 |
A small harvest in a difficult year with patchy quality. Fires on Stellenboch's Simonsburg damaged and even destroyed some vineyards. Red: Predictably powerful with excellent concentration and big tannin structures. Some wines where over ripe, with fruit and softer acidity. White: drink up, many affected by the heat which destroyed aroma. Chardonnay and Semillion fared better.
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1999 |
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A large harvest in a warm vintage. Reds: ripe, fat, alcoholic, low tannin, juicy wines. Drinking earlier than 1993 vintage. White: Lacking fruit and concentration. Chardonnay, Semillion and Chenin fared better.
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1998 |
A significantly smaller harvest, with cool wet winters in 1997 before a warm ripening season and sustained heat during the harvest. Smaller berries lead to less juice recovery and higher tannins. Red: big, dark-coloured, robust wines bursting with fruit but distinguished by tough tannins. They need long cellaring to soften, if they sufficient fruit to justify extended keeping. White: less exciting and frequently lacking aroma. Full bodied wines such as Chardonnay are good, but don't seem to be lasting as well as expected.
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1997 |
A slightly larger vintage. The cool shower during budding and berry-set meant serious problems with downy mildew . Latest harvest on record, as late as May. Red: Supple fruit and smooth tannins. Impatient wine makers who harvested to early made unbalanced wines with harsh, green tannins. White: Some excellent stylish wines with beautiful aromas, showing refinement and balance.
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1996 |
A large crop, ripened in near perfect conditions until late- January when a series of showers spoiled the harvest. Damp weather was perfect for the development of botrytis, a negative factor for reds but sublime for sweet whites. Reds: generally poorly balanced, lacking fruit and concentration, drink up. White: Wines lacking concentration, most already consumed. An important year for botrytis, some excellent Noble Late Harvests.
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Older Vintages
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1995 |
Very dry and hot; ripe, big, concentrated reds with maturation potential.
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1970's |
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As a rough rule of thumb, the even years were usually more favorable for reds. 1974 best vintage of the decade, a few 1978's are passable. |
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