in the vineyard : The Shirz grapes come from our high altitude vineyards on the slopes of the Helderberg Mountain, where the cooler temperature restrains the natural vigour of the vines. This concentrates the typical varietal flavours in our grapes. Practises such as pruning in Winter and shoot removal in Summer reduce the yields to ensure maximum ripeness, flavour and colour in our grapes. A philosophy of environmentally friendly farming results in the minimal use of fungicides, herbicides and insecticides.
Rated as an exceptional vintage, the conditions during 2001 were very cool with adequate rain between November and February. The ripening period was extended by two to three weeks, resulting in exceptional aroma development and tannin ripeness.
in the cellar : After gentle destalking and crushing the juice fermented dry on the skins. Two weeks of maceration was allowed on the skins for maximum extraction of grape flavours, colour and tannins. The wine matured in carefully selected 225 litre French Oak barrels for 15 months.