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Waterkloof releases second vintage of its expressive Circle of Life Red
Waterkloof, stalwart of sustainable wine farming on the elevated outskirts of the Helderberg Winelands, has released the 2009 Red vintage of its expressive Circle of Life – an all-embracing description by taste of nature’s natural ongoing cycle in the estate’s amphitheatre of vineyards.
“Our Circle of Life is produced from bio-dynamically farmed grapes and we only rely on natural yeasts to produce wines with naturally low sulphur levels. Waterkloof’s philosophy is minimal intervention, respecting the natural cycle of the vineyards and we believe in a slow wine mantra as good things come to those who wait,” explains winemaker Werner Engelbrecht.
Crafted on the same ‘blueprint’ as the 2009 and 2010 Waterkloof Circle of Life White vintages, this second red edition encapsulates the estate’s defining sense of origin with its singular variations in soils, terrain and climate.
“The vine is the perfect expression of nature’s ability to renew itself every year and the name, Circle of Life, reflects this renewal. Our Circle of Life White and Red twosome is inspired by this ongoing cycle that exists not only at Waterkloof but in life in general,” adds Werner.
Waterkloof Circle of Life Red 2009 is the culmination of a unique set of circumstances emanating from site-specific vineyard blocks, some rising up to 300 metres above sea level, that have shaped the components in the blend.
This ‘bio-dynamic beauty’ is not a wine that is driven by a particular varietal or a specific parcel of a vineyard, nor constrained by a traditional blending style, for example a Bordeaux or Rhône blend, but rather an elegant expression of the philosophy and totality of this magnificently appointed estate on the slopes of the Schapenberg near Somerset West.
The Bordeaux varietals in the blend were destemmed while the Rhône varietals, depending on the ripeness of the stems, were whole-bunch fermented, but Werner is tight-lipped about the precise components that make up the blend as it may take away some of its mystique.
All Waterkloof red wines are naturally fermented in open top wooden fermenters, without the addition of cultivated yeasts, and the wines stay on the skins for up to 40 days before being pressed.
The Waterkloof Circle of Life Red 2009 is a classic wine with notes of spice and cassis dominating on the entry while the flavours become more complex when the wine is allowed to aerate for a while. The soft juicy fruit on the palate is encased by fine tannins and the wine will certainly increase in complexity with age.
Waterkloof Circle of Life Red 2009 retails from R140 per bottle and is available directly from the cellar or at selected fine wine outlets countrywide.