False Bay Shiraz 2008

Name: False Bay Shiraz 2008
Brand: False Bay
SKU: 21800

Full yet elegant with bramble fruit aromas, cassis and black cherry flavours on the palate and a touch of white pepper spice (more in the northern Rhone mould than Barossa brawn) - structure provided by fine tannins with a long rich, ripe finish. A moderately wooded Northern Rhone style with soft gripping tannins that invites food.

Ideal with spicy dishes and red meats.

variety : Shiraz [ Shiraz Mourvèdre ]

winery : Waterkloof

winemaker : Werner Engelbrecht

wine of origin : Western Cape

analysis : alc : 14.0 % vol rs : 3.17 g/l pH : 3.58 ta : 5.28 g/l

type : Red style : Dry taste : Fruity wooded

pack : Bottle closure : Screwcap

in the vineyard : As part of our commitment to quality and consistency, vineyards for the False Bay wines are chosen from areas where we believe the specific cultivar is best suited to. Vineyards chosen for False Bay Shiraz are situated in the Paarl and Malmesbury areas. We prefer to select mainly bush vine vineyards which is cultivated under dry land conditions or at best it will receive one irrigation during the growing condition. This ensures that the vigorous growth of Shiraz is kept in check and produces wonderfully concentrated fruit. Origin of the soils are mainly of Malmesbury Shales.

The 2008 GROWING SEASON
A winter which provided much needed rain and cold weather was followed by a cool, wet spring. The regular rains during spring and the early parts of the summer did lead to higher than normal disease pressure. We had to increase our spraying intervals in order to insure that our vineyards stay free from disease. Cloudy periods during flowering resulted in irregular set. Bunches were lose and the berries small which allowed for the berries to colour evenly. The cool weather during spring followed through into the early parts of summer which allowed for even ripening with very little waterstress.

in the cellar : The vineyards which earmarked for False Bay Shiraz already provides us with ripe juicy flavours. We do not want to further accentuate this profile during the winemaking process. The aim is to showcase the ripe spicy fruit but also ensure that the wine has good length. Fermentation takes place in Stainless steel tanks at temperatures of between 26 and 28 degrees Celsius. The wine is pumped over a maximum of two times per day to limit over extraction. Two to three delestage are also allowed during the fermentation process. Natural yeasts are allowed to complete the fermentation. Only the free run juice is used to ensure soft tannins. Malo lactic ferment also takes place in take after which the wine will spend 3 - 4 months in older barrels. The aim is not to induce any oak flavours, but allow the wine to mature and become more integrated.

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