Klawer Villa Esposto Straw Wine 2023

This range is made from dryland bush vines on the farm Arbeideind (Basie van Lill). The vine was planted in 1969 and is a certified heritage vineyard.

It all started in 1969 when Basie van Lill and some guys from school had a plan. They decided to plant Muscat de Alexandre on their own roots, trained as bush vines and, of course, with no irrigation, because of the unique climate of the mountains and very good care from the owner, the vines survived 52 vintages and are still going strong. Grapes were handpicked and dried in the sun for 2 weeks. During this process, the sugar content increases by up to 40 balling. The grapes are then pressed to extract all the goodness. Fermentation proceeds slowly, challenged by the high sugar content. At ± 200 g/l residual sugar, the yeast naturally ceases its work, leaving behind a luscious balance of sweetness and freshness. The wine is then allowed to settle, gently stabilized, filtered, and bottled — preserving all the natural goodness of this rare style. Villa Esposto, a wine range, pays tribute to the many Italians who have played such a pivotal role in South Africa, not only in the field of winemaking but also in various civil engineering projects. In particular, it pays homage to Louis Theodore Esposto, who arrived from Italy in 1914. Louis and many other Italians built the water canal that today is a vital “fountain of life” in our wine-growing region, the Olifants River.