Today I was very lucky to have a private cellar tour and tank tasting during harvest, with the winemaker Helgard van Schalkwyk.
We started off by tasting the bottled Lynx Rose which was followed by various tank samples of the Lynx Rose in the cellar. It was interesting to see how the colour of the wine varies depending on whether it has started fermentation, is half way through fermentation or has completed fermentation. If I remember correctly, the wine went lighter in colour after fermentation.
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| Lynx Rose before and after fermentation |
We tasted some red wines from barrel and then finished in the tasting room to go through the rest of the range. We were really spoiled and this was truly such an awesome experience. I was really surprised to see they use a basket press in the cellar and that they have the old fashion fermentation tanks. This winery is far more back to basics in their wine-making style than I realised.
Helgard is a really lovely person, very down to earth, friendly and passionate about his work. I mean, who agrees to meet someone on a Sunday at work, to show them what they are working on? :-p But he appeared to love every moment, so I think that says a lot about his passion and enthusiasm for the job.
I have been to this winery on one other occasion which was during the Uncorked wine festival, where they had tastings in the tasting room, live music outside and a food truck serving Mexican food. It was a lovely set up and very relaxed.
I can highly recommend visiting Lynx. The building is simple but the service is superb and the wines are fantastic. Be sure to check it out.
