Ekliptika

Ekliptika is named after the phenomenon in which the earth, stars and moon align in their orbit with the sun. Both the name and the label illustrate Longridge's biodynamic way of farming, and can be read as a metaphor for when different components come together to create something inexplicably special and unique. This Bordeaux-styled red blend is shaped to suit Longridge's unique terroir and is composed of the best batches of Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. The fruit is rooted in the oldest viticultural soil in the world - decomposed granite on the lower slopes of the Helderberg Mountain. The vineyard sits in the Helderberg Ward, the coolest pocket of Stellenbosch; cool day-breezes off False Bay and cold night air falling down the mountain give even ripening and good natural acidity. The vineyards are meticulously hand-tended and the crop is reduced for maximum quality. Biodynamic and organic practices are followed - no herbicides or chemical sprays. In the cellar the wine is made naturally and biodynamically: no commercial yeasts, no enzymes, no fining agents. It is unfiltered and not cold-stabilised, and may therefore show harmless sediment over time. Ekliptika matures in 70% new and 30% matured French oak barrels for eighteen months. With proper cellaring, this wine will improve and continue to reward over the next fifteen years.