Tasting note
Colour - Pale straw with youthful green glints.

Aroma - Hints of asparagus and green pepper and light tropical fruits.

Taste - Nettley-fresh and citrussy with a subtle hint of passion fruit.

	Type:Still White Wine		Country:South Africa		Appellation:Western Cape
	Grape Type:Sauvignon-based blend		Drink Before:End of 2009		Style:Dry
	Alcohol:11.5%		Bottle Size:75cl		Bottle Code:26556

Description
Steendrift is a brisk, fresh white, a South African interpretation of Bordeaux's classic blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, given an extra twist of ripeness.

The wine comes from the Lateganskop estate in Worcester, owned by the prize-winning Lategan family. Current owner is William Lategan, who was 102 this year and leaves the hard graft to the younger generations. The property is surrounded by the imposing Bainskloof mountains, which had to be blasted in the 18th century to create the Bainskloof Pass and thus forged a passage between Worcester and Cape town.

The current generation of the family involved in the day to day running of the estate is De Wet Lategan who has been honoured with the 'Young South African Winemaker of the Year' award twice in the last three years. He is assisted by hotshot winemaker Hennie du Preez who, at 32, has scooped top awards from the South African Young Wine Show, Veritas and Michelangelo.

Sauvignon Blanc in this wine provides lots of grassy, herbaceous and nettley freshness, while the Semillon lends a little more weight, with a slight honeyed, creamy peach character. The emphasis of the wine is its brisk, lively character, so Hennie and De Wet insisted on no oak-ageing at all. Picking the grapes in the cool of the night and fermentation in stainless steel at a low temperature has ensured lots of fresh, fruity character too.