This full-bodied wine shows freshly crushed black pepper aromas with hints of cinnamon and cloves on the nose with lots of brambly red berry fruit, rich mulberry and well-integrated vanilla tones.
Enjoy now with roast beef, stews, lamb, venison, pasta and steak. Serving temperature: 12º - 14ºC.
variety : Shiraz [ 100% Shiraz ]
winemaker : Lolly Louwrens
wine of origin : Breede River
analysis : alc : 13.61 % vol rs : 6.0 g/l pH : 3.45 ta : 5.8 g/l
type : Red style : Dry body : Full taste : Fruity wooded
pack : Bottle
in the vineyard : Shiraz is by nature a vigorous grower, so a 6-wire Perold system is used to manage the canopy. Our Shiraz is planted in deep Karoo and shale soils that are rich in lime. An average of 7 - 12 tons of fruit was harvested per hectare during the fourth week of February from 35 specially selected grape growers in the Robertson Valley. This rich lime content ensures a healthy growing medium. Bunch size is kept below 120 grams per bunch to ensure concentration of fruit.
Vintage
Incredible healthy grapes of excellent quality to produce outstanding wines - this is how the 2006 vintage will be remembered. As in 2005, the season started with very little winter rainfall in Robertson, but this time around, enough rain fell in the Brandvleidam catchment area to ensure sufficient water supply.
Early and even budbreak occurred and due to lots of wind and a cooler growing season only moderate vineyard vigour was achieved. The prevailing strong wind induced stress on the grapevines which had a positive effect on wine quality, as it led to smaller, looser bunches with fewer, smaller and more concentrated berries. The 2006 crop was a little bigger than in 2005, but is till smaller than an average crop. This is mainly due to the smaller, looser bunches with smaller berries.
Optimum ripeness was reached at lower sugar levles due to the cooler ripening period. Especially the night temperatures were lower than normal. This, coupled with the smaller berries, ensured excellent red wine quality.
2006 will be a vintage to be remembered.
about the harvest: Grapes were harvested at full ripeness between 24,5° - 26,5° Balling from a selection of vineyards with average age of vines between 7 and 9 years.