“This year will be notable for a fresh, elegant yet powerful style due to excellent vintage conditions.”
It’s being hailed as one of the best seasons of the last 25 years, which has producers across the Cape winelands rightfully excited at their future bottlings. A combination of good winter rains and cold units helped to nourish vines and support a restful dormancy period. The season that followed was significantly influenced by moderate temperatures and noteworthy diurnal shifts, the conditions prime for growing bunches with plenty of flavour.
“We were blessed again with a cold and wet winter,” said Gretschel. “Budding and shoot development in spring was later than the previous season. This led us to harvest about a week later than the previous 2024 vintage. Our Pinot Noir crop experienced some uneven ripening – which, positively, meant very high acidities, driven by high malic acids,” continued Gretschel. “This coupled with the cooler December and early January climatic conditions, led to this season’s spectacular acidities.”
Harvest lasted ten days, beginning with Pinot Noir in the second week of January and finishing with Chardonnay. As has been tradition since the 1980s, night harvesting in the cool, early hours allows Krone to preserve grape condition, retain high acidities as well as capture the delicate aromas and flavours of the freshly picked crop.
“The yields are slightly down this year but nothing serious. The [nature] of the base wines this year looks really promising. The cellar has recently been upgraded and this has helped boost the character of the harvest. We hand-sort all the grapes with our new system. We also have a new press that allows us to produce the highest quality juice possible.”
Krone produces Vintage-Only Cap Classique in the traditional method.
We believe that each vintage tells a story.
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