Fairview The Beacon Shiraz 2013

Dark ruby red in colour. Aromas of white pepper, mixed spice and black cherries, this Shiraz resemble a French Syrah from the Northern Rhone. The palate is full bodied with firm structure and evident tannins and should mature for 5 – 8 years.

variety : Shiraz [ 100% Shiraz ]

winery : Fairview Wines

winemaker : Anthony de Jager

wine of origin : Swartland

analysis : alc : 14.00 % vol rs : 3.4 g/l pH : 3.52 ta : 5.9 g/l

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

pack : Bottle size : 750ml closure : Cork

ageing : The palate is full-bodied, rich and smooth with lingering black fruit flavours which make it drinkable now or to be matured in the bottle for 10-12 years.

At 33°44’ latitude 18°48’ longitude, the surveyor general’s trigonometric beacon 194 rises above a mound of ancient metamorphic shale. Formerly the bed of a primordial ocean, these shales were blasted into a mound by the heating actions of magma penetrating close to the earth’s surface. The Dreyer family has farmed on this land since 1705. Willie, the present generation Dreyer farmer, has an intimate knowledge of dry land farming. Unirrigated bush vines battle through large, flat, grey shale stone. The roots must claw their way deep beneath the rock in search of moisture and nutrients. Nature and the farmer work a double shift: the Glenrosa soils of Swartland region encourage grape bunches with tiny berries; the vines are pruned to bear a small crop. The joint result is a wine of considerable concentration and distinction.

in the vineyard : This dry farmed vineyard was planted in 1995, using Shiraz clone SH9A, grafted onto rootstock R110. The deep Glenrosa soil type retains soil moisture well and ripens the crop early, without stressing, during our long hot summers. Planted on a North-westerly facing rocky outcrop, the vines are pruned to a “bosstok” or bush vine. Depending on the growth, the vine is pruned to between 3 and 5 bearers per vine. Summer canopy management includes topping as well as green cropping after veraison. The vineyard is regularly visited during the ripening period and tested by tasting, visual and analytical examination to determine the ideal picking date.

about the harvest: Harvest Date: Morning of18 February 2012
Grapes were harvested fully ripe at 24.5° Balling.

in the cellar : The fruit was brought to the cellar in small lug boxes, destalked and hand sorted over a sorting table. All raisins, under ripe berries and stalks were removed. The sorted berries were sent straight to open French oak fermenters (foudres). Manual punch downs (pigeage) were performed three times daily. Post fermentation maceration lasted for two days. Wine was basket pressed, and malolactic fermentation was completed in French oak, 70% old barrels. This vintage spent a total of 20 months in oak.

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