The 2017 harvest is almost one third done. A lot of Chenin blanc, Sauvignon blanc, Pinotage, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are chilling in the cellars by now. Regions like the Swartland, Paarl, Stellenbosch, Breedekloof, Franschhoek and Olifantsriver are in full swing, while the cooler regions like Elgin, Walker Bay and Elim are just about starting, mostly with Pinot Noir for MCC and Chardonnay.
The dry growing season will definitely play a big role in the 2017 harvest. Some regions seem to be affected in a pretty bad way, while other regions seem to have coped pretty well. The past two weeks we harvested stunning Pinotage, Chardonnay, Chenin blanc, Sauvignon blanc and a bit of Cinsaut from the Voor-Perdeberg. We also just started with Sauvignon blanc in Stellenbosch. The grapes in Elgin will start coming in in about 10 day, first the Sauvignon blanc, then the Cabernet Franc and then the Shiraz.
The Carménère (a brand spanking new project) will chill on the vines for quite some time still. Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc in Stellenbosch also need another two to three weeks. Merlot in the Voor-Perdeberg seem to be quite far ahead, with the first coming in next week.
The next two weeks it is rock and roll time, with the bulk of the grapes shouting to be picked, crushed, fermented, pressed, matured and bottled… longing to be drunk.
