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VINEYARD BLOCKS
Mostly from one block 10 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 4 tons / hect. (24hl/ha)
A small quantity of grapes from neighbouring Keermont vineyard
included from a N.E. facing block. 7 yr old vines on 5 wire
vertical trellis, clone SH9 on 101-14 rootstock. Soil deep
red Hutton. Most of the block used for “Blueprint Shiraz”.
Yield 5 tons / hect. (36hl/ha)
VINTAGE CONDITIONS
Slightly below average winter rain was followed by above
average spring rain. This allowed for good growth up to flowering
and was followed by hot and dry conditions during berry enlargement,
ensuring smaller berries. Substantial rain (75mm) in January
was beneficial for the Shiraz, ensuring it ripened evenly
through the hot and dry weeks leading up to the harvest, producing
big, rich, concentrated wine.
Harvest date : 22 / 2 / 05 @ 24.8° 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. 31°C with the cap of
skins punched down manually 1 - 4 times a day for 16 days.
Wine drained directly to barrels together with single pressing
from traditional basket press.
All our red wines undergo malolactic fermentation in the barrel.
50% new French oak was used.
Time in barrel 23 months with only 2 gentle rackings.
This wine was bottled unfined and unfiltered by hand.
Bottling date : 9 / 2 / 2007.
Production : 154 cases.
TASTING NOTES
Impressive deep red colour. Nose shows intense blackberry
fruit with mocha chocolate, hints of cocoa, minerals, pepper,
licourice and toast. Big, rich palate with complex fruit and
plenty of fine tannins dragging the fruit along to an elegant
long finish. Probably best between 2009 & 2020. Ideal
with strong flavoured red meat, especially local venison and
ostrich.
ANALYSIS
Alc. 15.28 SG. 2.6 TA 5.7 pH 3.48 VA 0.72 SO2 48free 78total
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