Three Pines Syrah 2018

Located in the heart of the Jonkershoek Valley, near Stellenbosch in the Western Cape, the Stark-Conde estate benefits from a natural amphitheater of mountains that protects the vines from prevailing winds. The Syrah plots destined for the Three Pines cuvée are planted at altitude on well-drained slopes with soils of decomposed granite and clay, offering a balance between concentration and freshness. The Mediterranean climate, tempered by the proximity of the ocean, promotes a slow ripening of the grapes, resulting in elegant and structured wines.

The grapes are hand-harvested into small crates, then carefully sorted before being destemmed and gravity-fed into the vats. Fermentation takes place in open vats, with regular pump-overs and punch-downs to gently extract color and tannins. After racking, the wine is transferred to French oak barrels, mostly used for topping up, where it undergoes malolactic fermentation and is aged for an extended period before bottling without excessive filtration to preserve the purity of the fruit and the character of the terroir.

This wine reveals notes of blackberry , black plum , and blueberry , complemented by floral touches of violet and spicy nuances of black pepper , clove , and licorice . Woody accents of toasted oak , vanilla , and cedar mingle with a subtle smoky dimension. The palate is full and concentrated, supported by well-integrated freshness, fine yet firm tannins, and a long, flavorful finish.

The first grape vines were planted in South Africa by Dutch settlers in the 1650s, although wine production did not really take off until the arrival of French Protestants in the 1680s with their skills and knowledge of viticulture. Stellenbosch is also a historic wine region, with the first vineyards being planted there in the 1690s. Today, South Africa is one of the most important wine producing countries in the Southern Hemisphere. With over 300 years of winemaking history, it is often described as a bridge between the Old and New Worlds. The majority of wines are produced using New World winemaking techniques, but they often share more in common stylistically with their Old World counterparts. Since the end of apartheid, South African wine has received international attention and acclaim for its wide variety of styles. South Africa's wine industry is spread across the lush and rugged landscape of the Western Cape. Here, the abundance of mountains, valleys and plateaus allows winemakers to produce a wide variety of styles. Vineyards are also found in the Orange River region of the Northern Cape, where the flat, arid landscape is dominated by the Kalahari Desert. Most of South Africa's wine regions have a Mediterranean climate, heavily influenced by the meeting of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. The country's signature grape variety is Pinotage, an indigenous cross of Pinot Noir and Cinsault that is rarely found in quantity in other wine-producing countries. Shiraz (Syrah) is also widely planted, as are Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot (often combined in a Bordeaux blend). South African Chardonnay, Chenin and Sauvignon Blanc have become popular internationally in recent years.