Wine Spectator 95

 

Vineyard Blocks

About ½ from one block 14 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 5 tons / hect. (36hℓ/ha)

About ½ 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 6 tons / hect. (43hℓ/ha)

 

Vintage Conditions

Typical cold, wet winter followed by a normal growing season with enough rain and warm weather to produce good, balanced growth. A hot, dry ripening period without excessive stress, producing concentrated wines with great structure. One of the best vintages of the decade for the patient.

A massive fire prior to harvest meant a very stressful start to the harvest, but also relief that we were spared any real damage.

Harvest date: 28 / 2 / 09 - 13 / 3 / 09 @ 24.6°- 26.9° 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 small 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 : 19 / 1 / 2011

Production : 400 x 12 x 750ml

 

Tasting Notes 

Deep, dark red colour. Big, rich spicy blue & blackberry nose. Great intensity and complexity. Rich, ripe dark fruit and pepper and spice palate. Big, mouthfilling tannins. Slightly sweet fruit comes out as the wine opens up.  Drink 2014 to 2021. Best with a thick chunk of steak on the braai.

 

Analysis

Alc.  16.04            SG.  3.1           TA  5.1           pH  3.65           VA  0.64             SO2  9free 37total