D’Aria Winery ligt in de Tygerberg Valley tussen Durbanville en Bloubergstrand. Deze regio staat bekend om haar hoge kwaliteit Sauvignon Blanc en D’Aria is hier een van de voornaamste wijnproducenten. D’Aria zoals het vandaag de dag bekend is, is gevestigd op twee boerderijen, namelijk Doordekraal en Springfield. De geschiedenis van Springfield gaat zelfs terug tot 1698 toen de gouverneur van de Kaap voor het eerst dit stuk landbouwgrond verleende.
Hierdoor is dit stuk land een van de oudste en significantste boerderijen van ‘Groter Kaapstad’. In 1998, kocht Barinor (een investeringsmaatschappij) dit stuk land en werd het omgedoopt tot D'Aria. In 2008 vond de eerste oogst van D’Aria plaats en hebben zij in korte tijd topwijnen weten te produceren. Hoofd wijnmaker Rudi von Waltsleben is dan ook voor meerdere van zijn wijnen in de prijzen gevallen.
Naast wijnmaker is Rudi ook singer-songwriter. Dit is terug te zijn in de namen die hij zijn wijnen meegeeft. De wijngaard ligt op hellingen met rijke en vruchtbare grond die tijdens de wintermaanden voeding en water behouden, waardoor de natuur de controle over de druiven over kan nemen in de zomermaanden.
Op slechts 10km afstand van de Atlantische Oceaan koelt de zeewind de druiven ’s nachts af na de zinderende zomerdagen. In de zomer koelt het aftot net onder de 20°C en door vochtige mist aan de kust en de zuidoostelijke wind, profiteert de wijngaard van een typisch mediterraan klimaat met royale regenval tijdens de vorstvrije winters en droge, warme zomers.
De oude, van schalieafgeleide, diepe en goed doorlatende bodems vangen water en houden deze vast tot ver in de zomer, waardoor de wijnstokken de juiste balans kunnen vinden tussen vocht en stress om op een natuurlijke manier gezond en smaakvol fruit te produceren.
D’Aria The Songbird (Sauvignon Blanc)
The grapes are picked by hand and placed into small lug boxes. At the cellar, grapes are again sorted by hand before going into the press. After pressing, the juice spends about 24 hours on the skins. Most are then transferred into 1000-litre stainless steel tanks for fermentation, while a small amount (about twenty percent) goes into a ceramic egg for fermentation. After three months on the lees, a selection is made from the various tanks and blended with the ceramic egg component.
A complex Sauvignon Blanc, combining aromas and flavors of green pepper, asparagus and gooseberries with tropical fruit and hints of grapefruit on the finish. The palate is full, yet elegant.
D’Aria The Wild Thing (Sauvignon Blanc)
The grapes are picked by hand and placed into small lug boxes. At the cellar, grapes are again sorted by hand before going into the press. After pressing, the juice spends about 24 hours on the skins. The wine underwent wild fermentation and aged for 6 months in concrete eggs.
This unique limited released wine has no added products or went through any harsh stabilization processes and never been filtered before bottling.
The end product is a beautiful elegant Sauvignon blanc that was made with care the way a wine was intended to be made.
D’Aria Cape Minstrel (Pinotage)
The wine is handcrafted from start to finish. Grapes are handpicked and bunches and berries undergo a second sorting, also by hand, at the cellar. The Pinotage grapes undergo maceration and gentle crushing after which they are fermented in open fermenters at varietally optimal temperatures. Maturation then takes place for approximately 13 months in 50% new, 225l French oak barriques.
A Robust dark red wine with a full-bodied tannin structure. A Robust dark red wine with a full-bodied tannin structure, intrigued with complex dark red fruits that’s complimented with ripe berries, sweet spices, mineral notes and hints of dark chocolate shavings with a smooth velvety finish.
D’Aria The Soprano (Shiraz)
The grapes are hand-picked, from a selected (almost) 40 years old bushvine-block on the farm. Fermentation takes place in small, open stainless-steel tanks and the wine is then matured in small French and American oak barrels for 18 months before blending and bottling. The bottled wine is given a further six months’ rounding off before release.
Tremendously rich, with violets and plum on the nose. An intensely concentrated pallet with liquorice and oak spice in the backdrop.
D’Aria Rock Song (Sparkling Shiraz)
The grapes are picked by hand and berries are again sorted by hand before going into a 15000-litre stainless steel tank for fermentation with American oak.
The wine is bottled and by the simple injection of CO2 from a carbonator, the sparkle is created. A dark deep red sparkling Shiraz with sweet aromas of dark chocolate and vanilla.
D’Aria Pop Song (Sparkling Sauvignon Blanc)
The grapes are picked by hand and placed into small lug boxes. At the cellar, berries are again sorted by hand before going into the press. After pressing, the juice spends about 24 hours on the skins before being transferred into 1000-litre stainless steel tanks for fermentation. After three months on the lees, a selection is made from the various tanks and blended together.
The wine is bottled and by the simple injection of CO2 from a carbonator, the sparkle is created. A crisp, tropical style of Sauvignon Blanc sparkling wine.
D’Aria Love Song (Sparkling Pinot Noir Rosé)
The grapes are picked at low sugars levels by hand and placed into small lug boxes. At the cellar, berries are again sorted by hand before going into the press. Grapes undergo a light pressing to prevent too much color being extracted. After that the pressing juice is transferred into 1000-litre stainless steel tanks for fermentation. A selection is made from the various tanks and blended together.
The wine is bottled and by the simple injection of CO2 from a carbonator, the sparkle is created. A fresh and fragrant salmon colored Pinot Noir sparkling rosé wine.