International Wine Challenge 2005 - Seal of Approval
The wine is intense bright ruby in colour. “On the nose it is attractive with traces of smoked leather spice with an earthy background,†says cellarmaster Coenie Snyman. He also describes it as a medium-bodied wine with a plummy fruity palate complemented by delicate oak flavours.
Excellent accompaniment to grilled beef, roast lamb and venison. It also complements duck and quail.
in the vineyard : Terroir
Climate, soil, altitude and slope orientation are selected to capture as much varietal character as possible. The climate is mild with south and east facing slopes offering natural protection against late afternoon sun. Cooling breezes from the Atlantic Ocean ensure rich, slow growing crops. The soil is predominately medium textured and well drained with good water holding capacity.
The vineyards (Viticulturist: Bennie Liebenberg)
The majority of the grapes were sourced from selected 6-8 year old vineyards in Stellenbosch, predominantly from the Bottelary hills but also from the foothills of the Helderberg mountain. For the first time this wine will also include some grapes from the Malmesbury area, a region showing huge promise for making expressive red wines. These vineyards are located at altitudes ranging from 110 to 160m above sea level. The vines are grown in deep red decomposed granite, as well as sandy and gravel soils, ideally suited to the cultivation of Shiraz grapes. The warm and dry conditions resulted in a yield of 5 tons/ha of healthy grapes with smaller berries and a favourable skin-to-juice ratio. Pest and disease control was implemented according to South African subjective IPW standards.
about the harvest: The grapes were harvested, on taste, from the end of February into the first week of March at 24º - 25ºBalling.
in the cellar : In the cellar the juice was fermented at 28ºC for 6 days. After malolactic fermentation, the wine was matured for 18 months in a combination of French and American 300-litre oak barrels, using new (29% French and 16% American) and second fill (55%) French casks.