With the festive season upon us, it’s time to raise our glasses and drink a toast to our friends both old and new. For your loyal support, we say a heartfelt thank-you – it has contributed to a year of unprecedented success! May you and your loved-ones enjoy a joyous and peaceful festive season and a happy and prosperous New Year!
	Pinot Noir, your problem child? Oh how sweet it is to succeed with the ‘heartbreak grape’! Pinot Noir has eluded many a winemaker – maligned and discarded as the temperamental problem child of the wine industry. How I cringe at such cowardly surrender to one of Bacchus’s greatest contributions to wine appreciation. Perhaps a little or even large heartbreak is necessary in life, it is part of the building blocks to better understanding. Building blocks in turn offer greater potential to fashion smarter results. For me, I see Pinot Noir as ‘expanding my freedom’ – a slow expansion of a long learning curve. In particular, the 2005 vintage has rewarded us with a basket full of accolades and achievements. Chardonnay the ‘Courtesan of the Vineyard' Burgundy winegrowers have long accused Chardonnay of being the courtesan of the wine world. Chardonnay has travelled rapidly to every wine land on this planet offering her sweetest opportunity to all who wish to exploit her. Well, it still takes commitment, tender love and care to get the best out of Chardonnay. For Bouchard Finlayson, Chardonnay has turned out to be no problem daughter – in fact figures show that Chardonnay is our single biggest selling cultivar. A highlight of Chardonnay endorsement was my recent chance meeting with wine writer Oz Clark. This was at the closing moments of the October WOSA Mega tasting in Earls Court London. Unsolicited, Oz mentioned that there were three outstanding Chardonnays at this show that caught his attention and continued to tell me which they were – our Bouchard Finlayson Kaaimansgat, the Glen Carlou Quartz Stone and the Hartenberg Eleanor. I asked him if he appreciated that there was a common link through these three wines? A raised eyebrow got me to explain that the first was made by yours truly, the second was nephew David’s creation and the third was named after my mother! Nostalgic to say the least! The top play from Chardonnay this year has been our 2006 Missionvale which was submitted for Platter 5* but regrettably suffered the proverbial ‘slip between glass and lip’. So four and a half stars it will be.
	Our most outstanding news that we are proud to share with you is the heart-warming recognition of having our 2005 Tête de Cuvée Galpin Peak Pinot Noir chosen for the much-venerated Platter Wine of The Year 2008 Award! This is the first time any Pinot noir has received this acclaim, and, in the latest Platter Wine Guide, it is the only Pinot Noir awarded a ‘superlative’ 5-star rating. The esteemed Platter Wine of the Year Award is given to the wine that receives the highest number of votes in a ‘blind’ tasting session held to select the Platter South African Wine Guide’s 5-star winners. In this year’s evaluation, 21 wines were finally awarded a 5-star rating, with our 2005 Tête de Cuvée Galpin Peak Pinot Noir receiving the greatest number of overall votes! This limited release-label also won Silver at the International Wine Challenge 2007 and the International Wine and Spirit Competition (IWSC) 2007 in the UK. Being recognised for producing the Best Wine in South Africa – a wine now considered to represent the pinnacle of South African Winemaking – and having received an additional host of highly- prestigious international awards, we look back on 2007 as a year of immense satisfaction defined by noble success, achievement and recognition! Since these prestigious announcements, our 2005 Tête de Cuvée Galpin Peak Pinot Noir has enjoyed a complete sell-out! The 2006 vintage will, however, be released shortly. Our other wines, enjoyed far and wide have received great appreciation too, and to 2008 we say “encore!” Earlier this year, at Canada’s Sante: The Bloor Yorkville Wine Festival the Award of Excellence was presented to Peter Finlayson for our Galpin Peak Pinot Noir 2005. More recently, this benchmark wine went on to top the charts as Gold Medallist (Best in Class) at the IWSC 2007 and was selected as overall competition winner at the Juliet Cullinan Wine Connoisseur’s Awards 2007! At the same competition, our Franco-Italian blend, the 2004 Hannibal, came up trumps as Class Winner in the category ‘Unusual Reds’. Adding further acclaim to this label, Hannibal will now proudly join the Galpin Peak Pinot Noir on the menus in world-famous chef, Alain Ducasse’s, French restaurants! Equally exciting were the results at the Cape Winemaker’s Guild Auction, where our special 2005 Auction Reserve Pinot Noir fetched an average price of R445 per bottle – one of the top ten prices at the event! From our Chardonnays, the 2006 Missionvale Chardonnay received a 4 and a half star rating in the 2008 Platter Wine Guide, and is highly recommended, and we were extremely honoured to be awarded an ‘Outstanding’ 90-points for the Kaaimansgat limited Edition Chardonnay 2004 by wine guru James Molesworth in Wine Spectator Magazine (USA March 07).
	We are delighted to report that the name ‘Bouchard Finlayson’ is fast gaining recognition as a preferred favourite across the globe. After this year’s trading, we are now represented in no less than 24 countries internationally, exporting half of our production. After enjoying a very successful year with Terry Seitz who represents us in Virginia, North Carolina and Florida, we have recently also joined forces with Leucadia Cellars and Estates that will allow us to vastly expand our presence in the USA. We are very excited about this prospect, as it offers the opportunity of being showcased and available for sale throughout the country as of 2008. With this expansion, the USA will become our second largest export market! Other new markets gained during the year include Spain, Russia and Poland, while important markets still proudly flying the Bouchard Finlayson banner traverse the globe from Canada through the UK to Europe; from the Far East to South East Asia; and from the Middle East to Africa. We thank all of our agents and distributors for their support and faith in our wines, and look forward to growing to greater heights together in 2008.
	Here in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, we are proud to announce the recent release of five new wines. Elegant and refined, each one is crafted in a style so distinct to Bouchard Finlayson! Galpin Peak Pinot Noir 2006 Of our flagship, the Galpin Peak Pinot Noir, Peter Finlayson says: ‘The 2006 vintage has followed admirably after a most successful 2005. Excellent quality grapes were picked over a ten day period. Great natural acidities and rewarding grape sugars brought a smile to the team. Deftly balanced, rich, dark-coloured with rich plum and pretty floral, fruity aromatics. Luscious tannins call one back into the glass – very appealing on the polished after taste!’ Hannibal 2005 The 2005 vintage represents the 5th edition of this mark where Sangiovese remains the principal component (44%). Pinot Noir comprises 27%, Nebbiolo 14%, Shiraz 5%, and Barbera 10%. 2005 was a superb vintage with clear to perfect weather conditionsHere in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, we are proud to announce the recent release of five new wines. Elegant and refined, each one is crafted in a style so distinct to Bouchard Finlayson! Galpin Peak Pinot Noir 2006 Of our flagship, the Galpin Peak Pinot Noir, Peter Finlayson says: ‘The 2006 vintage has followed admirably after a most successful 2005. Excellent quality grapes were picked over a ten day period. Great natural acidities and rewarding grape sugars brought a smile to the team. Deftly balanced, rich, dark-coloured with rich plum and pretty floral, fruity aromatics. Luscious tannins call one back into the glass – very appealing on the polished after taste!’ Hannibal 2005 The 2005 vintage represents the 5th edition of this mark where Sangiovese remains the principal component (44%). Pinot Noir comprises 27%, Nebbiolo 14%, Shiraz 5%, and Barbera 10%. 2005 was a superb vintage with clear to perfect weather conditions bar the impact of March rains. Grown on heavy clay with close proximity to the Southern Cape Ocean, this assemblage of different grapes presents a performing style which is not too heavy but still presents a very firmly structured vintage. The wine is aromatic and seductive, marginally tight with enveloping scents which follow through mixed herb and berry character. Sans Barrique Chardonnay 2007 Produced from the Kaaimansgat / Crocodile’s Lair vineyard – ideal Chardonnay country. It has its own meso climate created by the short diurnal, a situation where the sun rises late and sets early, simply due to parallel mountain ranges flanking the site high in the Elandskloof Valley. ‘Unwooded’ means no oak maturation, which presents other challenges. How to get palate performance? This is achieved firstly with excellent fruit quality and then by leaving the wine on its primary lees where it absorbs added character through yeast autolysis. The wine is refreshingly fruity and lean with green apple and citrus flavours which are enriched by guava and honeysuckle tones. It will make an excellent accompaniment to shell fish and sushi! Crocodile’s Lair / Kaaimansgat Chardonnay 2006 Situated at a 700 meter elevation, the Kaaimansgat / Crocodile’s Lair vineyard has played a valuable role in the development of our wine reputation. The vineyard is not irrigated, reinforcing its remarkably consistent fruit quality. Fruit grown here ripens almost one month later than elsewhere in the Western Cape due to the impact of parallel mountain ranges which reduce the length of diurnal. This Chardonnay is fermented in classic Burgundian fashion then matured ‘sur lie’ for eight months in a traditional 225 litre press. It is bottled and matured for eighteen months before release and reflects a traditional mineral quality which is sympathetic of the vineyard’s austere terroir. Fresh, crisp and fruity with green apple and citrus flavours. Enriched by guava and honeysuckle tones with vanilla and a hint of butterscotch flavour. Walker Bay Sauvignon blanc 2007 Sauvignon blanc is South Africa’s ever popular white wine produced in many styles ranging from strong nettle green to tropical exotic fruit. Our style is relaxed tropically fragrant. Not abrasive and showing only moderate acidity. It is traditionally more French than New World. 2007 was generous – a heat wave at the end of January threatened to impinge on quality, but the unique aspect of our close plantings and ever protective shade cover was enormously successful in defending fruit quality. Peter Finlayson describes the 2007 vintage as: ‘More tropical than grassy and more delicate than overpowering; pure fruit tones and excellent balance! It boasts immediate varietal symphony and is minerally rich on the palate. Crisp, clear green apple and fig flavours lend itself to a range of fish or seafood dishes.’
	The final music evening of the year proved to be a highly memorable event. Hosted in the theatrical and timeless ambience of our barrel cellar by the Hermanus Music Society on Friday the 30th November, the evening entranced guests with a concert by the highly acclaimed Ixopo Duo. A partnership between two of South Africa’s finest pianists, Professor Francois du Toit and Dr Franklin Larey, the duo’s exceptional piano performance made for an evening that was truly sublime!
	Waiters Training at The Homestead Our waiters training at the Homestead continued with vigour into the second half the year. Teams from local up market establishments, like Harbour Rock, The Marine Hotel, The Milkwood and Grootbos, as well as staff from Cape Town’s Cape Grace Hotel and Simonstown’s Boulders Beach Lodge & Restaurant, were all hosted at our vineyards. Here, Assistant Winemaker Teresa Fourie doubled as tour-guide when she led guests on a comprehensive tour of our world-class cellar, while back at the Homestead, Karen Davison (Sales & Marketing Manager) and Danél Theron (Sales & Marketing Assistant) impressed with a tasting and in-depth discussion of our latest range of wines. An impressive number of on-site trainings were also hosted. Acclaimed venues included, amongst others, the likes of Salt Restaurant & Bar in Bantry Bay, Paranga in Camps Bay, Beluga and The Showroom in Greenpoint, Riboville Restaurant & Cellar in Cape Town city centre, Tamboerskloof’s Leinster Hall, Wasabi in Constantia, as well as Conrad Gallagher’s new Geisha restaurant and Mouille Point’s popular Pepenero’s. In 2008, we are eager to continue to offer support to our valued customers by hosting further wine-tastings and waiters trainings – be it in the timeless ambience of the Bouchard Finlayson Homestead, or on-site at a restaurant or retail outlet. So far, the success of these events has been outstanding and their unique combination of energy has proven to reap benefits for all involved!
	We invite you to take some time out this festive season. When joining us for a wine-tasting, why not pack a picnic basket to be enjoyed on our lawns amid the peacefulness of unspoilt nature? Or simply take a stroll through our famous vineyards? There are few better ways to soak up the beauty of summer! Please take note that due to the festive season, some changes will occur in our normal opening times. Our cellar will be open every Monday to Friday, 09h30 – 17h00, and on Saturdays, 09h00 – 12h30. We will, however, be closed on 17 December 2007 as well as Christmas, Boxing, and New Years Days.

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