Product Description
Varieties
Shiraz : 82%
Grenache : 9%
Mourvèdre : 6%
VIognier : 3%
The Vineyard
Clones: SH1, SH22, MT11, VI642
Rootstock: R99 and Mgt 101-14
Age: Average 12 years
Soil: Structured red soils with coarse gravel and weathered shale soils
Yield: 5,4 tons per hectare (34 hl/ha)
Balling: 24.6˚B
pH: 3,25 – 3,35
Total acid: 6,0 – 7,2 g/l
The Cellar
Our best two Shiraz vineyards form the backbone of this blend. The grapes were hand-picked in the early morning and force cooled to 4 °C. The Shiraz and Mourvèdre components were then bunch sorted, destemmed and berry sorted on vibration tables by 25 highly trained staff. The berries were gently crushed into a satellite tank and deposited separately in open fermenters. The must was dejuiced by 10%. It was given a cold soak of 3 days at 9 °C protected by a CO2 blanket. The juice was pumped over once daily during this period.
The Shiraz and Mourvèdre tanks were then heated to 18 °C and inoculated with BM45, L2056 and D254 yeast. The fermentation temperature was allowed to peak at 28 °C and then brought down to 24 °C. The fermenting cap was manually punched down three times and two pump overs daily. The Shiraz was given extended maceration after fermentation for 21 days total on the skins and then pressed into 100% new Allier French oak barrels. The Mourvèdre was pressed at 0ºB and finished fermentation in barrels. The Viognier was cold fermented separately in barrels. The press fractions were separated. Malolactic bacteria were inoculated and malolactic fermentation was completed in the barrel.
After malolactic fermentation the wines were given a low sulphur dose and left on gross lees for 11 months. The wine was then racked, the different components blended and returned to barrels. After a total of 20 months in barrels the wine was racked and filtered through a coarse sheet filter. Bottling was done with a fine sheet filtration. The wine was bottle matured for 11 months prior to release.
Alcohol: 14,47 vol %
Total acid: 6,1 g/l
pH: 3.42
Residual sugar: 3,0 g/l
Volatile acidity: 0,58 g/l
Free sulphur: 30 mg/l
Total sulphur: 88 mg/l
Awards
2017 Vintage
• Platter Wine Guide: Shiraz Blend Wineof the Year
• Platter Wine Guide: 5 Star
• Concours Mondial: Gold
• National Wine Challenge: Double Gold
• South African Wine Index: Platinum
• Decanter World Wine Awards: 91 Points
• Decanter Asia Awards: 93 Points
• Tim Atkin SA Report: 94 Points
• Michelangelo Wine Awards: DoubleGold
• Gilbert and Gaillard: Gold
• Six Nations: Gold
2016 Vintage
• National Wine Challenge: Double Gold
• Michelangelo Wine Awards: Double
Gold
• Veritas: Gold
• South African Wine Index: Platinum
Medal
• Decanter World Wine Awards: 94 Points
• Shiraz SA: Top 3 Shiraz Blends
• Tim Atkin SA Report: 95 Points
2015 Vintage
• Concours Mondial de Bruxelles: Gold
• National Wine Challenge: Top 100 &
Grand Cru Best in Class Winner
• Decanter World Wine Awards 2017:
Platinum & Best in Category
• International Wine Challenge 2017: Gold
• Shiraz SA: Top 3 Shiraz Based Blends
• South African Wine Index: Platinum
• Drinks Business Shiraz Masters 2017:
Master Award
• Tim Aktin South Africa Report 2017: 96
Points
• Veritas 2017: Double Gold
• International Wine and Spirits Challenge:
Gold
2014 Vintage
• National Wine Challenge: Top 100
• Decanter 2016: Gold
• International Wine Challenge: Trophy
Winner
• South African Wine Index: Platinum
• Tim Atkin South Africa Report: 95
Points
• Six Nations: Double Gold
2013 Vintage
• South African Wine Index: Platinum
• Inernational Wine Challenge 2015: Gold
• Decanter World Wine Awards: Gold
• Tim Atkin MW Report 2015: 95 Points
• Veritas 2015: Gold
• National Wine Challenge: Top 100
2012 Vintage
• Michelangelo Wine Awards 2014: Gold
• Veritas 2014: Double Gold
• Winemakers’ Choice Awards 2014:
Diamond
• Wine Style People’s Choice Awards
2014: Gold
• TAJ Classic Wine Trophy 2015
• Shiraz SA: Top 4 Shiraz Blends
• National Wine Challenge: Top 100
2011 Vintage
• Michelangelo Awards: Gold
• Veritas: Gold
• Decanter World Wine Awards: Gold
• Classic Wine: Top 6
• Six Nation Wine Challenge: Double
Gold
• Winemakers’ Choice Awards 2014:Diamond
