Gravel Hill 2018

Located on the cool slopes of the Bottelary Hills, in the heart of South Africa's Stellenbosch region, Hartenberg's Gravel Hill vineyard sits on iron-rich gravel and clay soils. Facing mainly southeast, the vines benefit from sea breezes from False Bay which temper the summer heat and extend the ripening period. This unique terroir, combining moderate altitude, natural drainage, and a strong presence of pebbles, promotes remarkable aromatic concentration and a precise expression of the Syrah character specific to this historic plot of the estate.

Gravel Hill grapes are hand-picked, carefully sorted, then destemmed before cold pre-fermentation maceration. Fermentation takes place in open-top fermenters, with regular pump-overs and punch-downs to extract color and tannins in a measured way. After devatting and gentle pressing, the wine is transferred to oak barrels, mostly French, where it undergoes malolactic fermentation and then a long aging on fine lees, before final blending and bottling at the estate.

This wine reveals notes of blackberry, plum, and black cherry, enhanced by spicy touches of black pepper and clove, as well as woody nuances of cedar and vanilla. More wild accents of smoked meat and black olive complete the bouquet. On the palate, the texture is full and structured, supported by fine but firm tannins, well-integrated fresh acidity, and a long, flavorful, slightly spicy 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.