in the cellar : The 1997 Zonnebloem Shiraz, a full-bodied but nevertheless elegant wine, was earmarked for this year’s Fine Art selection, says Zonnebloem cellarmaster Wouter Pienaar, for its distinctive, spicy, toasted aromas, soft palate and enduring aftertaste of fruit and wood.
Every year Zonnebloem reserves a single wine of outstanding character for its Fine Art series, now in its fourth year. These wines carry the special Fine Art label, featuring the work of a prize-winning artist. The artist in this case is 18-year-old Deborah Rossouw, a graphic design student from Cape Town.
The 1997 Shiraz was made from grapes grown in three vineyards - in Durbanville, in Devon Valley, and just outside Stellenbosch in loamy, granite soil. The fruit, which was unusually firm for Shiraz, since this is a varietal which tends to shrivel when ripe, was picked on taste. Ripening was even throughout, with harvesting in early March. The grapes were picked at between 24 and 25 degrees Balling and the fruit from each vineyard vinified separately.
Ten days on the skins to allow for good colour extraction, was followed by malolactic fermentation and clarification. The wine was then transferred to fine-grained Nevers and Alliers small oak barrels for 12 months before bottling.
Pienaar believes that its sound structure and ripe tannins make this a wine that will age with distinction.