in the vineyard : With its long, loose, medium-sized bunches of small, oval berries, ripening at about mid-season, the quality of Shiraz depends to a large degree upon where it is grown. Stellenzicht is Shiraz country. Grown on the cool slopes of the Helderberg Mountain near the coast, this varietal yield outstanding, rich, deep-coloured Shiraz wine at Stellenzicht with a fruity character and a typical smoky, scented bouquet that sets it apart. The 1998 Cape vintage was a warm, dryish season which ripened the grapes very well.
in the cellar : The grapes were crushed and fermented on their skins for six days with a selected, pure yeast culture. After the completion of fermentation, the wine was drained and pressed pneumatically before being matured in a combination of small, 225 litre barrels of French and American oak barrels and large, 2500 litre French oak vats.