Elpidios 2021

This cuvée comes from eleven vineyards in the Swartland, in South Africa's Western Cape. It blends grapes grown on a mosaic of terroirs: Paardeberg granite, schist and shale to the east, clay soils to the north and iron-rich soils to the west. This diversity of soils creates a nuanced expression deeply rooted in the dry Swartland landscape.

The grapes are picked in seventeen lots, then vinified with long, gentle extraction and an average of 40% whole bunches, before pressing. Part of the Grenache, Syrah and Cinsaut is fermented and aged in concrete tanks; the wine also spends time in old, neutral 500-litre French oak barrels and, for the Pinotage, in a 4,100-litre foudre. It then rests for 18 months in bottle before release.

This wine reveals notes of smoked cherry, raspberry, cranberry, plum, blackcurrant, lavender, fynbos, fresh thyme, white pepper, liquorice and pot-pourri. The medium-textured, juicy palate combines fresh acidity with fine, powdery tannins. Its savoury, slightly stony and spicy structure stretches the finish with precision and a lovely fragrant length.

The first vines were planted in South Africa by Dutch settlers in the 1650s, although wine production did not really take off until the arrival of the French Huguenots in the 1680s, with their viticultural skills and knowledge. Stellenbosch is also a historic wine region, its first vineyards having been planted in the 1690s. Today South Africa is one of the most important wine-producing countries in the southern hemisphere. With more than 300 years of winemaking history, it is often described as a bridge between the Old and New Worlds. Most wines are made using New World winemaking techniques, yet stylistically they often have more in common with their Old World counterparts. Since the end of apartheid, South African wine has attracted international attention and won acclaim for its great diversity of styles. The South African wine industry is spread across the lush, rugged landscape of the Western Cape. Here, an abundance of mountains, valleys and plateaux 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 enjoy a Mediterranean climate, strongly influenced by the meeting of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. The country's signature grape variety is Pinotage, a native cross of Pinot Noir and Cinsaut rarely found in any quantity in other wine-producing countries. Shiraz (Syrah) is also widely planted, as are Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot (often brought together in a Bordeaux blend). South African Chardonnay, Chenin and Sauvignon Blanc have become popular internationally in recent years.