This is the domain of the highly talented winemaker - Marius Lategan. Hand sorting of the harvested grapes is seen as an essential ingredient in producing a premium end product. The selected grapes are de-stemmed, lightly crushed and then gravity fed into stainless steel tanks to begin skin conditioning and primary fermentation. This is completed in five to eight days. For some varieties, extended skin contact prior to fermentation is allowed, to maximize colour extraction.

The free-run wine (liquid after fermentation) and pomace (the pulp of solids) are now separated. The pomace is pressed in a tank-press where the last of the wine is gently squeezed out. The pressed fractions and free-run wine undergo secondary fermentation separately. After secondary fermentation, the wine is racked off the gross lees (settled solids) and transferred to barrel without filtration.

Maturation takes place in French oak barrels; the length of time spent in barrels and the percentage of new wood used varies from year to year and is dictated by the fruit in the specific vintage. Until this stage the different cultivars are vinified separately. Now the crucial art of blending takes place as sample blends are made up, tasted and appraised until the perfect ratio is obtained. The input and experience of Pierre Lurton plays an important role in the blending process. First approached by Giulio Bertrand for advice, the managing director of Ch�teau Cheval Blanc and Château d'Yquem - the leading estates among the first classified growths - and owner of Château Marjosse, visited Morgenster and accepted to guide Bertrand after seeing the potential of the Estate.

Lurton visits the farm twice a year and he and his wine making team at Cheval Blanc are intricately involved in critical decisions, in particular barrel selection and blending.

The selected blends are bottled on Morgenster Estate. Bottle maturation varies between 9 and 16 months before the wine is released; once again, depending on the vintage.