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