Wine
Composition
100% Sauvignon
Blanc
Winemakers
Comments
Complex aromas
of limes, lemongrass with underlying floral and mineral
notes. Pure gooseberry, apple and mineral flavors combine on the
palate with finely balanced natural acidity and great
length.
Awards
Wine and Spirits 2010
- 90 Points
John Platters 2010 - 4.5 Stars
San Francisco International Wine Competition 2010 - Bronze
Medal
Technical
Analysis
Alcohol
Percentage
13.8%
Total Acidity
6.7g/l
Ph
3.16
Residual Sugar
1.1g/l
Vineyards/Vintage
Having 8 different Sauvignon blanc clones including 11, 159, 316
and 317 ensures that by keeping a close eye on the different blocks
the endless flavors can be captured in the vineyards. The harvest
of the Sauvignon blanc stretched from March 13th to early April
which provides a perfect, long ripening period to develop the
intense concentrated flavors
Cellar Techniques
The flavors from the vineyard are retained in the cellar by
following reductive practices with some batches receiving skin
contact and using yeasts Vin7, VL3 and X5. An important component
is the addition of our Semillon which enhances the mid-palate
weight and complexity of the wine. Stirring of the lees brings that
unmistakable Iona texture.
Winemaker
Name - John Seccombe
This is what he had to say...Tell us about your early days in the
vineyards, your education and how you started your career.
My first experience of producing wine was working the harvest for
family friends in Walker Bay, South Africa. My nascent interest in
wine then turned into a full-blown obsession, and from then on I
have worked almost every job in the wine industry, all the while
focused on my dream of becoming a winemaker. In between harvests
around the world, I worked as a sommelier in Scotland and England
where I had a fantastic exposure to some of the world's great
wines.
Describe your philosophy/approach to making wines.
I am a scientist at heart, and have always sought a deep
understanding of what I do in order to be able to work more
creatively and intuitively when the demands of harvest are upon me.
I find that this understanding helps me to find what is essential
in each batch of wine. I find that this focus helps me to do the
simple and essential things that bring out the best expression of
each harvest. I think that in order to be creative it is
fundamental to understand every aspect of one's art.
What is or would be your ideal wine to make?
My ideal wine is the one that at home in the land in which it is
made, one which yields incredible finesse to simple winemaking. I
always look to the Old World for inspiration, as it is there that
we find great wines that are at home in the regions that they come
from. As a winemaker, it is extremely satisfying for me to be
making great South African Sauvignon blanc, as I believe we bring
together the best elements of the Old and New World to produce
world class Sauvignon blanc.
Favorite cultivars to play with?
Sauvignon blanc and Riesling produce some of the great wines that I
like to make and drink. I would love to work with Pinot gris,
Godello and Albarino as they have all produced stunning wines that
I have enjoyed in my work and traveling. Although I am focused on
producing great white wines, Grenache, Syrah and Pinot noir can all
produce a wonderful array of styles and constantly hold my
interest.
Winery
Elgin, Western Cape
The wines of Iona come from a dramatically unique site in the Cape
Winelands. The vineyards are on a mountain plateau 420 meters above
sea level, surrounded by the Kogelberg Nature Reserve, and
overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. In a country where cool sites are
precious, these vineyards are like gold – the grapes ripening up to
two months later than other Cape vineyards and in perfect balance.
Iona is South Africa's coolest vineyard site.
Andrew Gunn and family acquired this beautiful, but run-down apple
farm in 1997. It was renamed "IONA" after the remote, spiritual
island off the west coast of Scotland.
The first vineyards were planted in 1998 and the initial research
confirms that Iona is South Africa’s coolest vineyard with
harvesting times up to 8 weeks later than other wine producing
areas.
The cool climate ensures long, slow physiological ripening of the
grapes under ideal growing conditions, with the sugar, ph, acid and
flavor compounds being in balance to produce elegant wines of
distinction.
Iona’s Sauvignon blancs are making a name for themselves as one of
the finest examples of this grape variety in the
world.
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