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