Fairview, `Goats do Roam` White 2020

Fairview, `Goats do Roam` White is a vibrant yellow colour, with bright, crisp apple and peach aromas. The palate is crisp and dry but with a floral characteristic. It's refreshing, but softer than a Sauvignon style. Made from 100% Fairtrade fruit sourced from vineyards on the slopes of Paarl Mountain where Charles Back has been growing Viognier, Roussanne and Grenache Blanc for several years. The majority of the Grenache Blanc grapes come from Darling.

The 2019 harvest was particularly challenging. The drought of the last few years paired with a few exceptionally warm and windy days at the end of October severely affected yields. The cooler region vineyards in Darling produced better yields than those in Paarl, although they were still down on previous years. White wine yields were down approximately 25% versus average yields over the past few vintages. However, the fruit that was harvested had a good balance between concentration of flavours and natural acidity.

Charles Back, the owner of Fairview, is also the man behind Goats do Roam, which was launched in 1999. Goats do Roam is rare in that it is an amusing and original proposition allied to wines of good quality and value for money. Normally, these 'concept' wines put more money into marketing than into quality but, characteristically, Charles has done the opposite. The fruit for Goats is sourced primarily from Paarl, Malmesbury and Paardeberg. The 'legend' goes that some errant members of Fairview's long established goat herd, supplier of milk for Fairview's internationally award-winning cheeses, escaped one afternoon from their paddock into the Fairview vineyards when Charles Back's young son Jason accidentally left the paddock gate open. The little group happily roamed among the vineyards, showing rare discernment by selecting some of the ripest berries from some of the choicest vines. Their selection serves as the inspiration for the blends of these wines.