Simonsig Estate Unveils Latest Vintage of Renowned Tiara Red Blend

Monday, 29 June, 2015
Simonsig Wine Estate
The new release of Simonsig Estate’s flagship wine, the 2011 Tiara Bordeaux blend, accentuates the merits of allowing a blend of this style and structure to receive proper barrel and bottle maturation before its release.
“A four-year waiting period from harvest to release seems to be a rarity on the South African wine front these days,” says Johan Malan, cellar master at Simonsig Estate. “But with the reputation of the Tiara and its complex structure we are never going to let the wine out of the cellar before it expresses the character that has made it a renowned Stellenbosch Bordeaux blend.”

Malan says the Tiara from the 1990 vintage was the first to be released and over the past 25 years the profile of the wine has undergone several changes. “The Tiara started out with only Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot making up the blend,” he says. “While these varieties still drive the wine’s profile, over the years they have been joined by Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc to enhance the complexity of flavours and tannin structure.”

The Tiara 2011 is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (66%), Merlot (21%), Petit Verdot (9%) and Cabernet Franc (4%).

“Since the launch of the first Simonsig estate wines in 1968, Simonsig has been convinced of the potential our terroir has to make excellent, world-class red wines,” says Johan.

“The longer we farm here, the more we experience just how ideal and unique the soils and climatic conditions are. The moderate, maritime Mediterranean climate with the Atlantic Ocean within sight of our vineyards brings everything together in harmony with the soil. 

Malan says Stellenbosch is Cabernet country.

“Especially Cabernet Sauvignon – which forms the backbone of the Tiara blend – has found its ancestral South African home in Stellenbosch and the local industry is receiving increasing recognition for this great noble grape variety, both in single varietal wines as well as in blends. Simonsig is definitely a part of the growing movement believing Cabernet Sauvignon to be the greatest red wine cultivar grown in this region.”

The wine spent 16 months in oak, made up of 96% French oak and 4% American white oak. New oak comprised 60% of the barrels while the remainder was made up of 2nd fill and 3rd fill.

The harvest of 2011 will be remembered for its windy, dry and hot conditions leading to ripe, expressive red grapes. Malan says the 2011 vintage continues the Tiara’s legacy of being a seamless combination of Old World classical elegance and New World purity of fruit. It maintains its well-established refined texture and flavour with concentration and nerve, while the finesse and touch of femininity is even more evident in the 2011.

“The wine compliments the legacy of the Simonsig Tiara, and tasting through some older vintages together with this new release, there definitely is a golden thread – primarily as a result of the Cabernet Sauvignon component,” he says. “In its relative youth, however, there is a perfume and fruit-forward vibrancy which give the Tiara 2011 its own fingerprint. This will only become more apparent as the wine ages.”

“While drinking superbly at the moment, it will really hit its straps eight to ten years from vintage date.”

The Tiara 2011 was awarded a Double Gold medal at the 2014 Veritas Wine Awards and obtained 4½ stars in the 2015 Platter’s Guide as well as a SA Wines Top 100 listing in the same year.

Technical Analysis : Alcohol: 14.6% RS: 3.0 g/l TA: 6.3 g/l pH: 3.49 Extract: 34 g/l
Recommended Retail Price: R245.00