Colour: Deep intensity with a delightful ruby/garnet hue.
Nose: Aromas of ripe black fruit with hints of smoky oak, almonds and black pepper. Touches of cloves and cinnamon in the background.
Palate: The rich intensity of ripe fruit flavours gives the wine a full-bodied structure while the fresh acidity balances it out with an elegant finish. Complex flavours of sweet plums, herbaceous tobacco leaves and rich mocha add to its succulence.
Works wonderfully with steak tartare, seared tuna and venison with plum sauce. Wonderful with good coffee.
variety : Shiraz [ 100% Shiraz ]
winemaker : Guy Webber
wine of origin : Stellenbosch
analysis : alc : 15.98 % vol rs : 3.00 g/l pH : 3.52 ta : 6.00 g/l va : 0.71 g/l fso2 : 15 mg/l
type : Red style : Dry body : Full wooded
pack : Bottle size : 0 closure : Cork
in the vineyard : Background
Flanked by the Helderberg and Stellenbosch Mountain, between Stellenbosch and the False Bay coast, lies an exceptional tract of land that benefits from terroirs eminently suited to the cultivation of the highest quality wine grapes. This jewel in the crown of the magnificent Stellenbosch wine-growing region is known as the Golden Triangle. At its core lies Stellenzicht.
Vineyards (Viticulturists: Prof. Eben Archer and Johan Mong)
The single vineyard from where the grapes for this wine were harvested, was planted in 1989 at an altitude of 170 m above sea level. Situated on a slope facing slightly west of north-west, it grows in soils of decomposed granite. Affectionately known as “Plum Pudding Hill”, this vineyard consistently produces fruit of high quality and ripeness. The vines are grafted onto nematode-resistant 101-14 rootstocks and are trellised on a six-wire fence system, receiving supplementary overhead irrigation when needed. The 2004 yield was restricted to 5.8 tons per hectare to further enhance the quality of the fruit.
While the average rainfall for the season was close to normal, the preceding winter was slightly drier and the summer slightly wetter. With average temperatures for February and March also slightly below the norm, ripening happened slowly and the harvest was the latest yet for this vineyard – three weeks later than usual. This slow ripening resulted in fruit of outstanding intensity, and this can be experienced in the wine.
in the cellar : After destalking and crushing, the mash was allowed to "cold soak" over-night at 12° C before fermentation was induced using NT50 yeast. For the next five days the fermentation temperature was kept at 25° C before the juice was drained and the skins pneumatically pressed. This pressing took place at 3,5º Balling when there had been sufficient extraction of colour. The alcoholic fermentation completed off the skins to avoid over-extraction of aggressive tannins. Malolactic fermentation was induced and the process allowed to complete itself in stainless-steel tanks before the wine was racked to barrels. It was matured for 21 months in new oak of which 88% was French, 6% American and 6% Eastern-European.
A total of 4 692 bottles were filled on 8 August 2006.