Meet our Winemaker - Bertus van Zyl

While attending boarding school in Stellenbosch, the heart of the South African Wine Industry, Bertus realized that he wanted to be a winemaker at the age of 15. He completed his degree in Viticulture and Enology at Stellenbosch University. This dual focus has been the driving force behind crafting wines that speak of their specific site.

 

Bertus has worked for renowned Rupert & Rothschild and Glen Carlou Vineyards in South Africa. His Napa experience includes Hess Collection Winery on Mount Veeder as well as Chappellet Winery on Pritchard Hill and Regusci Winery. In 2012, Bertus joined the Back Door Cellars Winery Team. He believes in the principle of balance, in life as well as in wine.

 

About the Wine

The 2012 vintage in the Napa Valley will be remembered as a Goldilocks vintage. Not too warm and not too cold, perfect conditions for ripening Cabernet Sauvignon. This is especially true for the Stags Leap District, where the combination of Volcanic soils, perfect exposure to the afternoon sun as well as the cooling breeze that is so typical of this AVA makes it possible to produce world class wines. This wine is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from a low-yielding vineyard. Grapes were destemmed and whole berries gently transported to the fermentation tank to ensure full expression of this high quality fruit. A 3 day cold soak was followed by pumpovers that were performed twice daily for 10 days. The highest quality wine was drained off of the skins and put down to barrel. We selected only the best French Oak barrels from two of the highest regarded coopers, Tonnelerie Remond and Seguin Moreau. These oak barrels are known for their tight grain and thin staves, which leads to perfection oak integration on the wine as well as the highest respect for the inherent qualities of the fruit. The wine will spend roughly 30-36 months in oak before being bottled unfined and unfiltered.