Malan describes it as showing a brilliant ruby colour with aromas of cigar box, dried flowers and a traces of spice. Its rich palate offers ripe fruit flavours with a delicate overlay of cinnamon, supported by supple tannins on the middle palate that linger long on the aftertaste.
He recommends serving it with poultry, veal and red meat dishes or savouring it on its own.
in the vineyard : Allesverloren, situated on the south-eastern slopes of Kasteelberg near Riebeeck West, is the only wine estate in the Swartland Wine of Origin district, an area becoming increasingly renowned for the excellence of its reds.
The farm, which dates back to 1704, began producing wine exactly one century later. In 1872 Allesverloren was acquired by Daniel Francois Malan and it has remained in the Malan family for five generations. The present owner is Fanie Malan, whose son Danie is winemaker. He won the Diners Club Winemaker of the Year award in 1998 for his 1996 Shiraz.
The grapes for this wine came from trellised, south-facing vineyards planted in Malmesbury shale between 60 metres and 300 metres above sea level. These low-yield vines were planted in 1969. Some blocks received supplementary irrigation. Malan follows the Bordeaux practice of low cropping.
about the harvest: The grapes were hand picked at between 23° and 26° Balling during the latter part of February, when they exhibited prominent varietal flavours and when the tannins were ripe but the berries still firm.
in the cellar : Each block was individually vinified. The grapes were fermented on the skins in open tanks for five to seven days at 25°C and left on the lees for four months to impart intensity of colour and flavour as well as to ensure the wine sufficient structure to age well. After malolactic fermentation, the wine was aged in a combination of new, but mainly second and third-fill French oak and a touch of new American oak.