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VINEYARD BLOCKS
Mostly from one block 9 yr old vines on 7 wire vertical trellis
with moveable foliage wires. Clones SH21A; SH1A & SH99
all on 101 - 14 rootstock. 5000 vines / hect. "Mont
Fleur" vineyard - high altitude Helderberg mountain
NW facing slope. Steeply sloping site with rocky, granitic
based Hutton soil. Lightly irrigated after veraison and shortly
before harvest to avoid excessive stress during the critical
ripening stage. Yield 5 tons / hect.
A small quantity of grapes from neighbouring Keermont
vineyard included from a N.E. facing block. 6 yr old vines
on 5 wire vertical trellis, clone SH9 on 101-14 rootstock.
Soil deep red Hutton.
Yield 7 tons / hect. Balance
of the block used for “Blueprint Shiraz”.
VINTAGE CONDITIONS
The spring was cool and late with good, even budburst. We
had a few very hot days in early January, but generally the
ripening season was relatively cool and dry and nearly 2 weeks
later than usual.
Harvest date : 4 / 3 / 04– 18 / 3 / 04 @ 23.5° -
25.6° Balling.
PRODUCTION
Handpicking into 20 kg crates.
Destemming and gentle crushing directly into small 2 ton open
top fermentation tanks. Spontaneous natural
yeast fermentation @ max. 30 deg. with the cap of skins
punched down manually 1 - 4 times a day for 15 days. Wine
drained directly to barrels together with single pressing
from traditional basket press.
All our red wines undergo malolactic fermentation in the barrel.
40% new French oak and 10 % new American oak was used.
Time in barrel 20 months with only 2 gentle rackings.
This wine was bottled unfined and unfiltered by hand.
Bottling date : 14 / 12 / 2005.
Production : 258 cases.
TASTING NOTES
Deep, true red colour. Nose shows intense brambly fruits
with hints of cocoa, minerals, white pepper, aniseed and roasted
nuts. Big, rich palate with complex fruit and fine, firm tannins.
Long, elegant finish. Probably best between 2008 & 2014.
Ideal with strong flavoured red meat, especially local venison
and Ostrich.
ANALYSIS
Alc. 14.11 SG. 1.6 TA 5.5
pH 3.55 VA 0.53 SO2 23 free 46 total |
