Appearance: Dark, intense.
Aroma: Rich, classic red fruit aromas, most notably plum and mulberries, are immediately prevalent on the nose, and supported by subtle floral aromas emerging from the small amount of Viognier added to the wine.
Palate: initial orange peel impression from the Viognier is overpowered by attractive red fruit flavours on the mid palate. The wine shows ripe, oaky tannins and a well structured finish.
Impression: "I believe we succeeded in capturing the very essence of both France (Rhône) and South Africa (Stellenbosch) in this wine." - Jean Engelbrecht
variety : Shiraz [ 94% Shiraz
6% Viognier ]
winemaker : Louis Strydom
wine of origin : Western Cape
analysis : alc : 15.0 % vol rs : 3.4 g/l pH : 3.52 ta : 6.4 g/l
type : Red style : Dry body : Full taste : Fragrant wooded
pack : Bottle size : 0 closure : Cork
in the vineyard : As Jean Engelbrecht gained knowledge and an understanding of Californian wine, and in particular those from Napa, he was drawn to the wines of Silver Oak Cellars, their philosophy and the focused way they ran their operation. Drawing a parrellel to his own family estate in South Africa, Rust en Vrede, he noted that both wineries focused on producing only red wine, and even further, concentrating on a specific wine Cabernet Sauvignon for Silver Oak and a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, and Merlot for Rust en Vrede.
Inevitably Jean met Ray Duncan, proprietor of Silver Oak, and a friendship was formed which included visits to both continents. The synergy that developed between the two families, their mutual love for wine, and the challenge to produce a wine together, led to the formation of The Cirrus Wine Company. In 2004 Jeans longtime friend and business partner, Ernie Els, became part of this exciting venture that was now formed between the three families.
As the wine was to be produced in South Africa, it was a natural decision to produce a Syrah. The view taken by the partners was one of starting off small, and to ensure that the venture was laying a strong and solid foundation for the future. The maiden vintage of this wine was in 2003. This 2004 vintage represents everything this wine stands for and more. This wine is the expression of the long-term view between three families that believe wine, above all should bring people together.