The Cape Doctor is the affectionate nickname for the gale force bluster that roars through Cape Town and purges our beautiful city of it's layer of smog and unwanted litter. Since early November till January this wind made farming with grapes a very difficult task. We always say: "One has to farm with nature and not against it" but nature gave us a lot of wind during this period which forced us to re-do a lot of work in the vineyards. We also had to apply supplementary irrigation from a earlier stage, to prevent the vines going into water stress too early.

If the wind wasn't enough, we also had to contend with Eskom's curve ball hurled at the W. Cape economy, referred to as rolling blackouts !! ( power failures ). Activities during February were daily crippled  by these power cuts, due apparently to maintenance  by the Western Cape power supplier. But Nature, at the end, did come around to supply us with very healthy fruit, because every time the wind blows we consider it as a free  treatment against disease . ( Did you know...optimism is a pr-requisite for farming, especially producing wine !!) 

The harvest commenced early and on the hottest day of the summer, (6 March 2006) at 40°C! Why did we choose to start on this hot day... well nature chose it for us, and we were happy to start. The race was on and we saw Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc coming in faster than the 100 meter sprinters finishing the finals of the Olympic Games. The grapes were healthy, the flavours were there and it was all worth it. Then we went into more of a marathon race, pacing ourselves for the Cabernet Sauvignon, which we harvested on the 17 th of April 2006, just in time for Easter. This was the second year that we made use of our vibrating table, to  single sort the berries, and it really proved to be a plus point in the handling/selection process.

The 2006 wines have enormous potential, and  are currently busy with malolactic fermentation. I am looking forward to see these wines developing in the barrels to produce another good selection of De Toren wines for  our loyal supporters.

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Weather Conditions:
We had a typical Cape winter with wet and cold conditions. Our rainfall for the season was 680mm with the first rains early in April and continued evenly spread till August. This early moisture in the soil combined with enough cold nights ensured an early leaf drop and the vineyards could start the new growing season with enough reserves.

We had a delayed ripening due to the soil that stayed cooler for longer. Early and mid summer conditions were cool and dry due to extensive South Easter winds that blew. This continues wind had an influence on our fruit set as well as sugar accumulation in the early part of the growing season. T ese conditions evolved in a naturally light crop set and hardly any fruit had to be dropped to obtain optimal fruit bearing. Although we had cooler than average Spring and Summer it was the driest Summer in two decades. This set the stage for optimal berry developing and ripening of our grapes.

Soil water monitoring was critical due to the low levels of moisture in the soil. Even more critical was the implementation of an optimal irrigation schedule to ensure good quality grapes.

Harvest
Although we had lower than average temperatures during December and February we started harvesting more or less the same time as last season. These lower temperatures ensured a gradual ripening of generally smaller berries and ensured a high quality harvest. Due to this favourable conditions we could increase our yield from 8t/ha in 2005 to 9t/ha this year.

Pest and Diseases
Overall it was a healthy and disease free year. We hardly had any downy and powdery mildew pressures and due to the cold winter the insect pressure was also very low.

Overall Impression on the 2006 Vintage
Due to the gradual ripening of all cultivars we could harvest all our grapes at optimal phenolic ripeness. Although the  yield was higher the bunch and berry sizes were smaller insuring intense flavours and deep colour . We are looking forward to a stunning vintage.
 
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We are proud and excited to announce that we are about to release the maiden vintage of De Toren Z. ( pronounced "Zee"). The planning for this wine centered around producing another top quality red blend from De Toren, yet different in style to Fusion V, so as to satisfy the demand. The project was affectionately christened after the name of a specific vineyard block, block- Z, and has stood firm under various forms of scrutiny eventually being adopted into the name.

The variatals for Project Z were matched to the various soil types, and the entire make up of the block with the composition of maiden vintage as follows:

Merlot 34%;
Cabernet Sauvignon 27%;
Cabernet Franc 19%;
Malbec  18%;
Petit Verdot 2%

The same meticulous planning common to Fusion V was applied to the mapping and planting of the last remaining vineyard block on the farm, with cooling summer breezes passing up the vineyard rows and giving a new meaning to air-conditioning of the vines .

This cooling effect results in a longer ripening period and together with the higher clay content in the soil has created a unique site specific wine.

In Bordeaux one finds a similar situation where the Left Bank has soils with higher gravel content that favour Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, as found in Fusion V. Wines from the Left Bank usually require more time to mature and will age for years, while the Right Bank lends itself to soil with more clay, preferring the Merlot grapes, with their early-ripening characteristics. The Right Bank wines are typically better suited for beginner Bordeaux wine drinkers, as they have lower tannin content, more fruit-forward flavour and are more inviting initially as in the case of De Toren Z.

Wine descriptor:
Rose petals, plum and blueberry fruits. Acidity is frisky and well integrated to bring freshness to the front of this elegant Bordeaux right bank style wine. Soft, firm well rounded tannins are integrated with delicate notes of cinnamon and the first impression is very much that of a Merlot.

Ageing potential:
The wine is definitely approachable now, but will develop in complexity with careful cellaring over the next 10 years.

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Our joint venture with Domaine Bertagna in Burgundy has delivered its first International result.

We entered the DDS Driefontein Shiraz 2004 for the Decanter World Wine awards and walked away with a silver medal. (Bear in mind that the competition was run 8 months before the intended release, so the wine was not quite ready yet.) Only 3 of 2004 Shiraz single cultivar wines won Gold medals and they were all from Australia . So to achieve a silver medal we believe is well done.

This wine will only be released in October. Only 500 cases were made. If you would like an allocation please click below and send us you detail. The price will not alter.

Click here to obtain an Order form to order your DDS wines.

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We have just completed the blending process of the Fusion V 2005. This year there was one blend that stood up to be counted.

It showed extremely well at all three tastings. The first tasting was held at Sides Restaurant at 10 Bompass Road, Johannesburg ' followed by the next tasting at The Grillhouse in Rivonia in Johannesburg . Both these panels were pretty unanimous in their choice. By the time we reached the 3 rd panel at 96 Winery Road in Stellenbosch the task was not so easy.

The best 5 blends were matched with 5 new blends put together after consultation with the first two panels. Eventually there were 4 candidates and after more trials in our own labs we chose the final blend - a blend that is exactly the same as that wonderful 2001 Fusion V vintage. Wait for it towards the end of next year. We believe it is going to be awesome.

Thank you also to those invitees who attended our dinners and for being part of the process to bring our very best to the market!

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Due to the vigorous demand for our wines both locally and internationally, we have taken the decision to bring the distribution of our wines under own control, thereby being directly responsible for our brand exposure.

In the competitive world of winemaking and wine-marketing we feel that we can be best served if we are frequently interacting with our end-users and facilitators, hence our decision.  In that way we can gain valuable customer feedback, act quicker and be in a position to structure our service to match the quality of our wines. This attention to detail and drive for perfection is reflected in our wines, and forms the core of the team at De Toren's philosophy and success. De Toren  Wines and Spirits have now commissioned stockholding facilities in both Cape Town and Johannesburg  with Emil den Dulk Jr representing the brands in  Johannesburg, and Dale den Dulk in Cape Town. 

All orders and administration will be centrally managed by Bernard Heyer in the Cape Town branch. De Toren Spirits has already set up a national distribution system to service the premium whisky and Cachaca products that it imports and markets. Essentially they share the same client base as De Toren wines, and therefore it makes sense to use the same distribution channels  under the name of De Toren Wines and Spirits. From the wine making process to the distribution of some of South Africa's finest wine and imported spirits, De Toren settles for nothing less than perfection and customer satisfaction!

Every second year we raise and train 50 ducklings to manage snails in our vineyards in a eco-friendly way. Left are the candidates for this year. Early in August they will be let into our vineyards to feast on the snails. Especially the hard to control Dune Snails.

The training is so that every evening, when the trailor arrives the ducks come marching in and then they are taken to their safe haven to be properly fed and to overnite out of harms way.

So when next you visit please heed our road signs. They are for real!

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What happens when you combine the expertise of a top sommelier with that of an expert glass maker (his brother). You get the ultimate wine glass - The Peter Steger "One for All" Crystal Wine Glass.

Called "One for All" because this stemware enhances the flavour of all wines poured into them. Do the test for yourself!. Take a wine; pour it into a regular wine glass smell and taste. Pour the contents of this glass into the Peter Steger "One for All". You make the decision!

This is not all. Over and above the magnificent crystal elegance of the stemware the glasses have been re-enforced with tungsten to prevent breakage. (15% t0 30% less breakages in catering environment) So for your daily usage - the ultimate Stemware at affordable prices.

Click on the link below if you would like to order the glasses. We are now the sole importers! Because we believe in the glasses.

Click here to download an Order Form for Peter Steger "One for All".

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De Toren has joined forces with a small niche company by the name Let's Sell Lobster (LSL). LSL is run by one Fasie Malherbe (Hotel school graduate, SA student chef of the year, Lecturer on food and wine pairing at ICA and Self Confessed wine snob) who specializes in the training, upliftment and development of staff in the Restaurants, Hotel and Private Game Lodge sectors with regards to silver plate service, wine education and wine sales training.

When queried about his wine course Fasie said, "Bush Logic is designed to cater for the trainees needs. Not everyone needs to know the effects of volatile acidity and the benefits of Malolactic fermentation in barrel. Many staff members do not even know the different cultivars let alone the brands on their own wine list. My goal with my wine course is to take the  pretentiousness out of wine and make it fun, funny, yet very educational and informative! I teach how to distinguish cultivars and brands through association and tasting, and most importantly, how to recommend cultivars of specific brands. From a service perspective for the Restaurant, Hotel and Game Lodge: I show the positive annual financial impact the improved service will have through financial models, I improve staff retention and I improve the dining experience for the guest."

LSL are also offering corporate team-building wine courses to satisfy the seemingly large 'thirst for knowlege' and we are extremely excited to partner Fasie in this valuable training initiative.

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