Vineyard Blocks

Mostly from the neighbouring Keermont vineyard.  A north east facing block. 9 yr old vines on 7 wire vertical trellis, clone SH9 on 101.14 rootstock. Soil deep red Hutton, medium potential decomposed granite. Yield 5 tons / hect (36 hl/ha)

Lightly irrigated at veraison to avoid excessive stress during the critical ripening stage.

A little from our new “Tip Top Mont Fleur” vineyard.  Steep stony north west facing slope with narrow rows.  Yield 3 tons/hect (18 hl/ha).

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Vintage Conditions

Typical cold, wet winter followed by a normal growing season with enough rain and warm weather to produce good, balanced growth.  The Shiraz seemed to relish the knife-edge harvest conditions with small heat waves alternating with short, wet, cold spells.  It seemed to bring out spiciness and elegance unique to the vintage. 

Harvest date: 16 / 2 / 07 – 12 / 3 / 07 @ 24.4 – 25.3° Balling.

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Production

Handpicking into 20 kg lugboxes. Destemming and gentle crushing directly into small 2 ton open top fermentation tanks. Spontaneous natural yeast fermentation @ max. 31 deg. with the cap of skins punched down manually 2 - 3 times a day for an average of 12 days. Wine drained directly to barrels together with single pressing from traditional basket press.

All our red wine undergoes malolactic fermentation in the barrel. This helps to integrate the new oak component and fix colour and flavour compounds. 20% new French oak was used.

Time in barrel 20 months with only one or two rackings.

This wine was bottled unfined and unfiltered by hand.

Bottling date : 16 / 12 /2008.

Production : 682 x 12 x 750ml

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Tasting Notes

Deep, bright red colour. Enticing wild berry fruit with spicy, fynbos nose and subtle pepper nuances. Full, elegant palate packed with complex sweet ripe fruit and spicy overlay. A little more edgy than 2006, with ripe, finely textured tannins. (Low total SO2 could qualify as organic wine under some association regulations). Probably best between 2010 & 2015. Ideal with a variety of spice infused meat dishes.

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Analysis

Alc.  15.09           SG.  1.6           TA  4.6          pH  3.71          VA  0.47          SO2  10free & 42total