Platter Red Wine of the Year 2011

 

Vineyard Blocks

Approximately ⅔ from one block 13 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.

Yield 4.5 tons / hect. (32hℓ/ha)

About ⅓ from our new “Tip Top Mont Fleur” vineyard planted immediately above the existing Shiraz vineyard in 2003.  Soil and aspect similar, though a little steeper and stonier. Clones SH470 (sourced from Cote Rotie); SH174 (sourced from Hermitage) and SH747 all on 101-14 (low vigour) rootstock. Trellis system and planting density as older vineyard above.

Yield 5 tons / hect. (36hℓ/ha)

 

Vintage Conditions

Typical cold, wet winter followed by a normal growing season with enough rain and warm weather to produce good, balanced growth.  As in 2007 the Shiraz seemed to relish the knife-edge harvest conditions with small heat waves alternating with short, wet, cold spells. Though overall a little wetter over the harvest period. It seemed to bring out a spiciness and elegance similar to 2007, just a little softer and less intense.

Harvest date: 1 / 3 / 08 - 10 / 3 / 08 @ 26° 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 14 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 fine grained, slow toasted French oak was used.

Time in barrel 20 months with only 2 gentle rackings.

This wine was bottled unfined and unfiltered by hand.

Bottling date : 11 / 12 / 2009

Production : 286 x 12 x 750ml

 

Tasting Notes

Deep dark red colour. Big, rich spicy blue & blackberry nose. Great intensity and complexity. Rich ripe fruit and spicy palate. Big soft tannins. Slightly sweet fruit comes out as the wine opens up.  Drink now to 2018. Best with dry aged sirloin or rump.

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Analysis 

Alc.  15.98            SG.  2.8           TA  5.1           pH  3.74           VA  0.64           SO2  13free 53total