BLANKbottle Autumn Equinox 2022

This is a blend of Weisser Riesling, Semillon and Sauvignon blanc from ELGIN - The Autumn Equinox theory.

Cultivar: Weisser Riesling, Semillon and Sauvignon blanc

Region: Elgin

Amount of Bottles Produced: 2640

Winemaking: The grapes were picked at optimal ripeness and cooled overnight to 4 degrees celsius. The next morning the grapes were pressed as whole bunches. The juice underwent spontaneous fermentation in concrete egg shaped tanks, amphora and older French oak barrels. Deep winter the wine received one sulfur addition. 10 months on the leese, blended and bottled.

The story of Autumn Equinox from the Winemaker: 

DISCLAIMER: I am no activist and I don't belong to any kind of organisation. I pick grapes from everywhere and respect each area for its contribution to a specific wine. In this newsletter however, I’m focusing on what Elgin does well and exploring the possible relevance of the Autumn Equinox theory. The Autumn Equinox theory… The more I learn about farming and wine, the more I wonder how the olden-day farmers decided what to plant where. Nowadays, before planting, farmers make use of professionals who scan the soil and dissect and analyse the different soil layers, physically as well as chemically. They study topographical data and in some cases make use of satellites and even drones. They construct terroir models in order to understand… Viticulturists (like Jaco Engelbrecht who works for me on a consultancy basis) also map the great Grand Cru vineyards of Europe which enables them to compare our new sites to the greats of the world. All this is done with one goal in mind: figuring out what to plant where! Ultimately, however, they feed from decisions made in ancient times. Times when they got it right without satellites, drones and engineering surveyors. Times when they had time to observe… One such approach that was often used, is the Autumn Equinox theory. In the Northern Hemisphere the autumn equinox falls on 22/23 September, as the sun crosses the celestial equator on its way south. In the Southern Hemisphere the Autumn equinox occurs on 20/21 March, when the sun moves back north across the equator - otherwise known as the “Harvest moon". Traditionally it marked the end of the harvest season, where they took stock of what was grown and gathered and gave thanks for what they had received. So their theory was very simple: plant whatever crop ripens a few days before, on, or after (basically as close as possible to) the Autumn Equinox. And that got me thinking about Elgin. During February and early March when the heat waves hit the Western Cape, grapes in Elgin are still green, with sugars around 16° Balling. The vines have plenty of energy to sustain the heat and by the time the heat waves have passed, moderate temperatures take the grapes through a mild, slow ripening phase. This enables the vines to produce fully ripe grapes. And then, on the Autumn Equinox, the grapes usually have a sugar content of 21 - 23° balling, which is when we pick. So today I decided to release a mixed case of ELGIN wines (including a brand new wine in our portfolio) - stuff that ripened on 23 March, 28 March and a blend with a average picking time at the Autumn Equinox.

Bottle size: 750ml

Alc: 14%

For Delivery within SA:

All orders are shipped out from our one central warehouse in Montague Gardens in the Western Cape. Local Orders generally take 0-2 working days, deliveries outside of Cape Town, but withing SA are usually completed within 2 to 5 working days.

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For out of Cape Town orders If the weight exceeds 25kg's there will be an excess delivery charge. We will notify you first before any excess charge is applied. If you wish to know the cost prior to placing your order please contact us.

If there is something wrong with your product we will refund the full 100% back to you.

If you placed an order and would like to cancel you can email info@mothercityliquor.co.za and we will assist with the cancellation process.

Cancellations have a small fee of 10% due to the transaction fees we incur on each order.

If an order has already been sent out to you the shipping fee is not refundable.

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Returns:

If something is wrong with the product you are able to return it to us.

If you'd like to return an item all you need to do is email us at info@mothercityliquor.co.za and we will assist with the return process.

Our returns policy lasts 7 working days. If 7 working days have gone by since delivery of your purchase, unfortunately we can’t offer you a refund or exchange.

To be eligible for a return, your item must be unused and in the same condition that you received it. It must also be in the original packaging.

The only types of goods are exempt from being returned are our Gift cards.

Sale/Special items:
Only regular priced items may be refunded, unfortunately sale/special items cannot be refunded.