Simonsig Mr Borio's Shiraz 2012

With a vibrant plum colour and attractive notes of blueberries and spice. Hints of vanilla pods intertwine with the well grafted tannins that sculptures the palate. Long dry finish with a repetition of succulent black berries and cherries.

This wine pairs exceptionally well with ham or bacon stuffed mushrooms, monkeygland burgers, cottage or venison pie, braaied/char grilled ribs or chops and certainly a meat lover's Pizza.

variety : Shiraz [ 100% Shiraz ]
winemaker : Johan Malan
wine of origin : Stellenbosch
analysis : alc : 14.56 % vol  rs : 2.44 g/l  pH : 3.5  ta : 5.65 g/l  
type : Red  style : Dry  body : Full   wooded
pack : Bottle  size : 750ml  closure : Cork  

AWARDS

2012
2015 Veritas Awards: Silver Medal
2011
2014 Concours Mondial De Bruxelles Competition: Silver Medal
2014 Sommelier Wine Awards: Silver Medal
2013 Veritas Wine Awards - Gold
2013 International Wine and Spirit Competition - Gold
2009
2012 Platter's Guide - 3 stars
2011 Veritas - Silver Medal
2007
2011 Wine of the Month Club Winner
2011 Platter's Guide: 3 stars
2005
2009 Michelangelo Awards - Gold Medal
2004
2009 Wine Magazine's Best Value Awards
2008 Michelangelo International Wine Awards - Silver Medal

ageing : Can be enjoyed now, but further ageing of three to five years from vintage would be highly rewarded.

History
Alessandro Borio, a prisoner of war here during World War 2, stayed on making South Africa his home. A Master in “cemento” his unparalleled masonry skills and colourful personality made him a close friend of Simonsig’s Malan family. Starting every day by cooking breakfast on his spade, he built the first cement wine tanks on Simonsig. This, the oldest part of the cellar is still used today to produce the much lauded Simonsig Shiraz.

In 1993 a new planting program was started for Shiraz and only the best available clones were planted. These clones are all virus treated and are sourced from South Africa, France and Argentina. The 1996 Shiraz was the first wine to include grapes from the new plantings. The new clones ripen earlier with high sugar levels and show an abundance of colour and fruit flavours. The yields are also higher; therefore green harvesting is applied to limit the yield. Shiraz is the most planted grape variety on Simonsig Estate, as the terroir is perfectly suited to produce excellent quality Shiraz.

in the vineyard : The 2012 vintage will be remembered as a very dry year. A rainfall of only 469 mm was logged, 33% below our long term average and the lowest rainfall recorded since 1976. While yields were slightly lower than in 2011, cooler conditions resulted in better quality and more concentrated fruit from smaller berries. January and early February had their customary hot days in the mid-thirties, but the rest of the vintage was quite cool resulting in the ideal slow and even paced ripening. Pinotage is the stand out variety of the 2012 reds. The harvest began at least 10 days later than usual and it took great patience and care not to pick the grapes too early. We tasted and harvested blocks in separate batches to ensure optimal flavour and tannin ripeness.

about the harvest: The sugar levels jumped to 25-26°B and it was a mad rush to pick as quickly as possible.

in the cellar : Wood Maturation: 18 months oaking. 70% French Oak, 30% American White Oak. 2% First Fill, 44% Second Fill,29% Third Fill and 25% Fourth Fill.

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