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WHERE HEAVEN AND EARTH MEET
A TASTING EXPERIENCE AT NEWTON JOHNSON

The Newton Johnson Vineyards is owned and managed by the Newton Johnson family. The farm is based in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley near the seaside town of Hermanus. When the family bought the farm in 2001 it was virgin land. The soil was untainted by synthetic fertilizers and herbicides that deplete its health - they undertook to limit their impact, create biodiversity, and ensure ongoing vitality.

We spent the day with owner and winemaker Gordon Newton in his cellar, tasting some of the superb wines Newton Johnson is known for.

“There is much that can be said about the intelligence of a vineyard and its ability to embody personality in wine. Season after season farming our own vineyards gave us a holistic understanding of the vineyard site and the means to allow the wine to follow a natural path. Experience with an individual vineyard is invaluable and ultimately enables you to discover the finest detail that makes it distinctive. Hence we make the wines with a soft hand, rejecting commercial additives, and in a manner that befits each and every vineyard.”

said Gordon as he poured the first of what will become my favourite wines…

NEWTON JOHNSON FAMILY VINEYARDS CHARDONNAY 2013

This is the 6th vintage, and most refined, of the Estate Chardonnay from a northwesterly facing terraced vineyard.

Nose: Smokiness with spice notes and cinnamon.

Palate: Deceptively elegant as this wine opens up to produce complex characters with notes of vanilla showing depth, and long creamy flavours on the finish. The steely acidity matches the lime fruit with nutty rich flavours in the background.

Cellaring: Will be able to age well and keep for at least 10 years after vintage. The wine will become nuttier after a few years and lose some of the fruitiness.

NEWTON JOHNSON MRS. M PINOT NOIR 2013

The Family Vineyards Pinot Noir is made up of 3 single block vineyards, each bringing its own nuances to the final product. These blocks have different soil make ups, the one known as Mrs. M has mainly sandy soil.

Nose: Big nose, with lots of character and complexity showing dark red fruit, cherries and evident maceration. Slight smokiness on the nose.

Palate: Beautiful character on the palate, austere, sweet cherry fruit with long complex notes and excellent long aftertaste. Supple and quite elegant with good acidity - a beautiful wine.

Cellaring: Lay down for five years before opening. Can age for at least 15 years more.

NEWTON JOHNSON BLOCK 6 PINOT NOIR 2013

This Pinot Noir is from their oldest vineyard that has a good depth of soil with 30% clay.

Nose: An expressive nose of cherries and plums with chocolate, mocha and dusty notes at the end.

Palate: Lovely precision and elegance on the palate which shows a clean, sweet and fruity taste. A pleasant, multi-layered long aftertaste. The overall impression is of great elegance.

Cellaring: Ten years from vintage.

NEWTON JOHNSON FAMILY VINEYARDS PINOT NOIR 2013

The Family Vineyards Pinot Noir is the embodiment of the most definitive and consistent vineyard sites on the estate.

Nose: A delightful nose of mushroom, baskets of red fruits and sweet-thorn resin.

Palate: The palate has the same fullness and richness of texture. A beautiful sweet entry that is not overpowering, but rich in complexity. Lots of different red fruits - cherries, strawberries, red berries. Long and silky aftertaste, with pencil shavings on the end.

Cellaring: Can age for 15 years +

We are happy to report that Newton Johnson's wines will be featured on the Mosaic Wine List early in the new year.

Santé!

The Cellar Master