VINEYARDS
In recent years Shiraz has been seen by many as embodying the future for South African wine at the highest level. However, one general deficiency is the lack of good texture, and a tendency for solid wines without much elegance. We believe it should not be all about the big, gutsy wine that many see as its main character. Specifically we were looking for vineyard sites that could produce wines with notable elegance and freshness, allied to a fine texture. Although there will always be those who prefer Barossa brawn to Northern Rhône refinement, this was not what we set out to achieve.
Intensive viticultural research revealing that the area of Paarl was superbly suited for Shiraz, complemented our own findings, which began in the area in 1994. With an average summer temperature of 28 degrees Celsius, the area’s climate is often compared to the Rhône Valley in southern France. The deep soils are high in clay content, which is excellent for water retention. It seems that the remark “the best soils are the worst soils” holds true as these gravel-based vineyards restrict the variety’s natural vigour. The wet, cold winters and warm, dry summers ensure that Shiraz vines have enough water available to ripen the grapes without being too vigorous.
The 2007 GROWING SEASON
After several dry winters we had very good rains and cold weather throughout the winter period. The spring and early summer were the coolest in years, which is very positive for flavour development on the white wines, and colour and structure on the reds. Despite a heat wave in late January, vineyards looked good and ripened properly and slowly.
WINEMAKING
The prevailing idea among many South African winemakers that Shiraz needs new wood is incorrect in our opinion. Only second and third-fill small French barrels were used for the portion of the final blend that was barrel-matured. A splash of Mourvèdre (clear, young vine fruit, and as complementary to Shiraz here as in the Rhône) has added further dimension to the blend. However, we still believe our approach is a matter of “terroir” over “style”.
TASTING NOTES
The prevailing idea among many South African winemakers that Shiraz needs new wood is incorrect in our opinion. Only second and third-fill small French barrels were used for the portion of the final blend that was barrel-matured. A splash of Mourvèdre (clear, young vine fruit, and as complementary to Shiraz here as in the Rhône) has added further dimension to the blend. However, we still believe our approach is a matter of “terroir” over “style”.
After de-stemming, the grapes were fermented in stainless steel tanks. Fermentation was allowed to start without the addition of cultured yeasts. With the onset of fermentation, pump-overs took place three times per day. Towards the end of fermentation the number of pump-overs was reduced to ensure that no harsh, dry tannins were extracted. Fermentation took place at temperatures of 26 to 30 degrees Celsius (at the height of fermentation). The wine was drained from the skins after fermentation was complete. No press juice was added to the wine.
ANALYSIS
Alc 14.0%
TA 5.79 g/l
pH 3.63
RS 3.08 g/l
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