However, more important than the sheer volume is the quality of the grapes, and in that respect this vintage does not in any way rank below 2012. I'm particularly excited about the grapes from the Chenin blanc bush vines that are of an exceptional quality. Walking through the cellar I am enveloped in an amalgam of olfactory pleasures (OK, I had to go and look up that word!) emanating from tanks filled with young wines of Chenin blanc, Sauvignon blanc, Nouvelle, Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay and Semillon Ð the white cultivars that have kept us busy at the cellar door over the past few weeks. The first batches of early red varietals such as Pinotage and Merlot have also been crushed but the great stampede is yet to come. And we await that with some trepidation! The hot weather at the end of February will hasten the ripening process and what then tends to happen is that everything arrives at the cellar door at more or less the same time. Thank goodness for the investment made last year in extending our cooling systems. I can tell you, these facilities have proved to be worth their weight in gold. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE Subscribe to our Newsletter