Neethlingshof Shiraz 1998

Michelangelo International Wine Award 2002 - Silver
Brick red colour. The rim shows some paling. Aromas of concentrated pepper and spice. Also rustic features on the nose: wild herbs; venison joints; cigar box. Packed blackberry and plum fruit on the palate. The black-pepper spiciness on the nose follows right through. A wine that is smooth and fleshy is the over-all impression. The fruit/tannin balance has been carefully judged.

Serve with Mediterranean meat dishes like spicy lamb, meat casseroles incorporating red and green peppers, souvlaki or kebabs. A good partner, also, to roasts (including venison) and oxtail or other stews. Excellent with barbecued lamb chops and beef steaks. The Shiraz lover would, of course, enjoy drinking it on its own. Serve at around 18ÂºC.

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variety : Shiraz [ Shiraz ]

winery : Neethlingshof Wine Estate

winemaker : Philip Constandius

wine of origin : Coastal

analysis : alc : 14.05 % vol rs : 2.7 g/l pH : 3.68 ta : 5.8 g/l va : 0.57 g/l so2 : 103 mg/l fso2 : 34 mg/l

wooded

pack : Bottle

AWARDS

Michelangelo International Wine Award 2002 - Silver

ageing : The wine is already very drinkable. It has sufficient structure to last for at least 7 to 8 years if cellared under the right conditions.

in the vineyard : 100% Shiraz (the South African/English synonym for the classic syrah grape). As in the northern RhÃ´ne, Shiraz is considered very much a noble grape in South Africa, designed for a long life and able to add firmness and an intriguing spiciness to blends of other grape varieties.

The SH 1A clone is grown at Neethlingshof, planted between 1985 and 1987, in clay soil on a west-facing slope at 150 metres above sea level. The Shiraz vines, grafted onto Richter 99 rootstock and trellised on a five-wire extended Perold system, received supplementary sprinkle irrigation only when necessary. The yield was a low 5 to 6 tonnes per hectare.

about the harvest: The grapes were hand-picked on 29 February 1998 at a Balling of 25 degrees.

in the cellar : After crushing and destalking, the must was inoculated with the WE 372 yeast strain. Fermentation on the skins, at 28ÂºC in rotation tanks, was completed in 5 days. Malolactic fermentation occurred spontaneously. Only French oak was used to mature the wine in new as well as second- and third-fill barriques for 18 to 24 months. In November 2000 the assemblage was made and the wine bottled soon afterwards.

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