KWV The Mentors Shiraz 2009

This varietally expressive wine has upfront fresh red berry, mulberry and blueberry complemented by dark chocolate, mocha and toast flavours. The upfront fruit flavours create an ideal balance with oak nuances. On the palate the wine is velvety smooth with hints of incense and spice. The aftertaste is lingering with an abundance of fruit.

This wine will complement any roasted or smoked red meat dishes such as game, lamb or venison.

variety : Shiraz [ 100% Shiraz ]

winery : The Mentors

winemaker : The Winemaking Team

wine of origin : Stellenbosch

analysis : alc : 14.75 % vol rs : 2.74 g/l pH : 3.53 ta : 5.97 g/l

type : Red style : Dry body : Medium taste : Fruity wooded

pack : Bottle closure : Cork

AWARDS

Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show 2012 - Bronze
Decanter World Wine Awards 2012 - Commented
International Wine Challenge 2011 - Silver Medal
Concours Mondial 2011 - Gold Medal
Michelangelo International Wine Awards 2010 - Gold Medal

ageing : Enjoy now, but cellaring potential of 5 - 8 years from vintage.

in the vineyard : Vineyards
Rainbow's End, Helshoogte.

Treatment in Vineyard
Two individual blocks were selected from this vineyard. Both of these blocks are situated at high altitudes with one on a north-easterly and the other a south-easterly slope. Both are farmed dryland and meticulous detail is given to every single vine in order to ensure the desired vine balance and sunlight penetration into the canopy. The harvest decision was dictated by the development and concentration of grape flavours.

Vintage Conditions
Cool, wet weather during the 2007 winter and excessive rain in the first two months of 2008 led to a later than usual start to the 2008 harvest. This resulted in slow ripening conditions with small berries, concentrated flavours and slow sugar and flavour development. This also led to an ideal distribution between red and white grapes being harvested. 2008 has been an excellent vintage for both red and white wines and wines will continue to develop to their full cellaring potential.

about the harvest: The harvest decision was dictated by the development and concentration of grape flavours.

Yield: 4.5t/ha

Harvest date: March.

Balling at harvest: 25.8° Balling

in the cellar : Wine making
The grapes were harvested optimally ripe and were hand sorted in the cellar to ensure that only the best fruit was used for fermentation. The wine fermented naturally and alcoholic fermentation lasted approximately 6 days. During that time it was pumped over every 4 hours. Wine was pressed off skin before alcoholic fermentation was completed to prevent the extraction of hard and drying tannins. Malolactic fermentation lasted 3 weeks in the barrel whereafter the wine was racked and put back in the barrel for maturation. The wine was racked twice during its 18 months in barrels.

Maturation
18 months' maturation in a combination of 85% French oak barrels and 15% American oak barrels. 70% of the barrels were new oak.

Total production: 2 130 bottles.

Bottling date: December 2009.

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