VARIETAL:

55% Shiraz, 45% Cinsault. The Shiraz portion hails from a vineyard on a very mixed soil, situated on the lower foothills of the Helderberg West peak. The Cinsault is planted on heavily weathered granitic soils and is situated in Firgrove, in close proximity to False Bay.

VINIFICATION:

This wine has been fermented and aged as naturally as possible, without intervention and in search of an authentic reflection of its origin.

The grapes are de-stemmed into open top fermenters, including 30% whole bunches, and undergo a cold soaking for 3-5 days. The wine ferments naturally (without the addition of commercial yeast) for a period of 14 days during which it is punched down manually once per day. Thereafter it is gently basket pressed and moved by gravity into barrel. The 2018 was raised for 11 months in seasoned French oak barrels. The wine was bottled unfined and unfiltered in February 2019.

TASTING NOTES:

A beautiful delicacy on the nose with aromas of black cherries, dried cranberrys, herbs as well as a hint of crushed rose petal. The Shiraz lends some meaty nuances and peppery spice to the blend while the Cinsault is responsible for the wonderfully fragrant aromatics. The palate is fleshy yet supple with a good density of fruit. The tannins are crunchy & persistent due to the whole bunch portion.

AGING POTENTIAL:

The wine delivers immediate drinking pleasure but will gain in complexity with further cellaring.
Optimum drinking: 2020 - 2028 (16° C).

ANALYSIS:

Alcohol: 13.7% T/A: 5.2 g/l
pH: 3.62
R/S: 1.8 g/l Sulphites: 80mg/l

ACCOLADES: 92 Tim Atkin