Bellingham The Bernard Series Basket Press Syrah 2013

A powerful aromatic wine that is assertive and yet delicate and refined with ample cracked black and white pepper spice, hints of rich dark chocolate against a substantial blackberry and mulberry fruit foundation tinged with subtle floral suggestions of violets and dried indigenous fynbos.

This wine is particularly recommended with full flavoured dishes like roast venison, aged fillet and rump steaks, spicy sausages or confit of duck.

variety : Shiraz [ 98% Shiraz, 2% Viognier ]
winery : Bellingham Wines
winemaker : Niel Groenewald
wine of origin : Coastal Region
analysis : alc : 14.0 % vol  rs : 4.5 g/l  pH : 3.5  ta : 5.6 g/l  
type : Red  style : Dry  body : Full   wooded
pack : Bottle  size : 750ml  closure : Cork  

AWARDS

2015 Syrah du Monde : Silver
2015 TOP 100 Wine Challenge

ageing : A generously structured wine with astute ripe tannin texture that promises further integration and complexity on cellar maturation for up to 10 years.

The Bernard series is a tribute to our founder, Bernard Podlashuk, a trail-blazing visionary whose maverick approach and bold risks helped shape the course of South African wine. This wine is new-world contemporary, yet still classically styled with a compelling character typical of its origins that is a fitting tribute to Pod, the first winemaker to release a single variety Shiraz in South Africa under his Bellingham label.

in the vineyard : Origin: Coastal Region (Agter-Paarl and Bottelary Hills)

In the Vineyard: Shiraz grapes were hand-picked from two vineyard blocks yielding 4 – 8 tons per hectare individually. The trellised vines grow on deep well-drained soils of decomposed granite covered shale.

about the harvest: Harvested by hand in mid-season at 25°Balling. The Viognier grapes were hand-picked from a five-year-old very low yielding vineyard at an average of 23°Balling.

in the cellar : Shiraz is hand-sorted for bunch and berry selection on arrival at the cellar before being crushed and fermented together with the Viognier. Natural co-fermentation took place in open 5001 French oak barrels before gentle pressing in a basket press. The young wine was returned to the French oak barriques where malolactic fermentation is completed and a further 12 months maturation was allowed.

find our wines in :