A wine to enjoy with spit-roasted chicken legs, cumin lamb skewers, or with a well-aged Beaufort.
Let's talk little, let's talk wine
This wine has long been a blend of different red grape varieties, it is now made from 100% Syrah sourced exclusively from organically farmed Stellenbosch vineyards planted on decomposed granite soils. After hand-picking, the wine ferments spontaneously from indigenous yeasts using 70% whole bunches. The wine then ages for 13 months in 500-litre barrels followed by a further 9 months in foudre. This wine reveals intense notes of plums , wildblackberry , black cherry , blueberry , menthol , rose , lily , aromatic herbs , graphite and white pepper . The palate has a beautiful fruity expression, refreshing acidity and ultra-fine tannins. Delicate, precise and beautifully balanced.
Where are we traveling?
Coastal Region
The "Coastal Region" is the most important wine region in the "Western Cape" area and the epicentre of the South African wine industry. This region is influenced by both the oceans and the mountains, and there are many microclimates. The climate is Mediterranean, and the influence of the oceans is more pronounced near the coast, but the interior of the region is warmer.
The Sub-region: Stellenbosch
Stellenbosch is perhaps South Africa's most famous wine region. The town, located in the Coastal Region of the Western Cape, is steeped in history and home to the country's best-known wine estates. Cabernet Sauvignon is the most widely planted grape variety in the region and is often blended with Merlot to create Bordeaux-style blends. Vineyards cover the gentle hills of Stellenbosch, from Helderberg in the south to the lower slopes of Simonsberg Mountain in the north. This terrain allows for a wide variety of wine styles, and among the exposed hills and sheltered valleys, microclimates suitable for growing all sorts of grape varieties can be found. The region's climate is relatively warm and dry, although a maritime influence comes from False Bay in the south. Cooling south-easterly breezes sweep through the vineyards in the afternoon, refreshing the grapes after the heat of the morning sun. White wine varieties are often planted closer to the ocean, where this effect is more pronounced.
The little history of the country
South Africa
The first vines were planted in South Africa by Dutch settlers in the 1650s, although wine production did not really begin to take off until the arrival of French Protestants, in the 1680s, with their skills and their 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 have 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 can also be 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, strongly 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 Cinsaut 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.
