RAKA

The private family owned cellar was completed in time for the 2002 harvest, and can accommodate 400 tonnes per harvest. It is gravity-fed, so that pumps are only used to get the wine from the fermenters to the barrels in the adjoining barrel cellar. There are sufficient small fermenters to accommodate the grapes from each vineyard block separately. The wine so separately vinified is also kept separate during the aging process when the wine from fermenters (thus each block) is kept in a separate batch of 225 liter French and American oak barrels. The harvest and winemaking process The grapes are handpicked in small lug boxes, in which it is transported to the cellar. Hand picking allows for pre-sorting. Bunches not at optimum ripeness or spoiled in any other way are left in the vineyard. In the cellar the lug boxes are emptied onto a conveyor where all matter other than good grapes is removed before destemming. After destemming the berries are further sorted (green berries and stems removed) before being crushed directly into the tanks. The grapes from each block are vinified separately in small stainless steel fermenters. Cold soaking takes place for up to three days before fermentation starts. The cake is punched down manually every four hours during fermentation. Some wines are left on the skins for further contact after fermentation. All red wines are matured in small French or American oak barrels.