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Winemakers note: A good expression of the cooler side of the Cape winelands. Good ripeness at a low sugar level produced a gentle, perfumy wine. Not a concentrated wine, but full of character and personality, with mulberry, pepper and licorice on the nose. Soft, silky and easy on the palate, with finesse and freshness in the finish.
Wine Description
The Story
This red-and-white blend with its rich, fruity style is a versatile partner to food, as the structure and spice of the Syrah as well as the floral nuances of the Viognier allow it to complement beef, venison and charcuterie, aromatic curries, game birds such as quail and duck, as well as reduced fruit flavours.
The Elim vineyards grow in duplex soils with a high content of ferrocrete (coffee stone), the Walker Bay vineyards in shallow shale, and the Franschhoek vineyards in deep, sandy, decomposed sandstone and granite. Cool conditions in the Elim area resulted in a naturally low yield of about 5 tons/ha. The Walker Bay vineyards also produced a low yield because of dry, windy conditions and the shallow shale soils. The Franschhoek Viognier was chosen because of its late ripening and was harvested together with the Shiraz in order to co-ferment.
Wine Information
The preceding winter was cold enough to allow good budding, but in places only 33% of average rainfall was received. Initially, growth and bunch-forming were good, with indications of a promising harvest. With heat-waves in October and January and an exceptional number of days with the temperature above 35 degrees Celsius during summer, the potential harvest volume decreased substantially. There was also a great shortage of water for irrigation. Harvest-time was 10 — 14 days earlier than usual. These conditions prevailed throughout the wine-lands. In the Elim area itself it was cooler, with more regular rains from the south-east. Due to the risk of rotting, grapes could not be left on the vines for too long. The result is wine with a low alcohol content and a positive, low pH.
