According to Simonsig cellarmaster Johan Malan, it is a special moment to release the Stellenbosch Estate’s premium offering from a vintage that is being described as exceptional in every sense.
“It was a big moment for Simonsig last year to release the first vintage of The Garland, namely the 2008,” he says, “and the positive reception of this single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon from critics, the wine trade and consumers surpassed all our expectations.
“We have thus created an expectation for the wine, as many in the wine trade have told us that that first release was going to be a tough act to follow. Well, maybe it would have been were it not for the superb climatic conditions that led to 2009 being a Cape classic. Having lived with The Garland 2009 for seven years, from vineyard, through barrel to bottle, I can just say that this is a wine that does ultimate justice to the exceptional quality of that vintage.”
The Garland is Simonsig's first super premium wine and is made from a single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon grapes situated against the slopes of Stellenbosch's Simonsberg Mountain, one of the leading locations when it comes to superlative red wine, and specifically Cabernet Sauvignon. The vineyard is managed by Simonsig in conjunction with the owners of the land on which it stands.
The 2009 vintage was characterised by an exceptionally wet winter leading up to spring of 2008, with the soils remaining cool and wet throughout the growing season. The idyllic cooler conditions that prevailed from spring to February 2009 ensured slower ripening of fruit, and longer hang-time on the vine leading to grapes of astounding structure and complexity.
“The magnificent flavour spectrum was already evident as the grapes came into the cellar,” recalls Johan, “and applying the focussed vinification and barrel-maturation – as The Garland requires – with fruit of that quality is an honour for a winemaker.”
The Garland’s vines are planted in lovely red weathered granite soils, with good chunks of granite visible between the vineyards. The site is about 400 m above sea level and the vineyard is exposed to both the cold Atlantic Ocean from Table Bay as well as the sea breeze from False Bay's side. These are perfect conditions for Cabernet Sauvignon, as the many great wines made from Simonsberg grapes have shown through the years.
There is a family connection between the Malans from Simonsig and the farm on which the The Garland vineyard is located. The land belongs to the Van Niekerk family, Johan's maternal relatives.
“As a child I regularly visited the farm and was always fascinated by these vineyards that seem to cling to the mountain slopes,” recalls Johan. “And when I set out on my winemaking career, it was always my dream to one day get my hands on exceptionally good Cabernet Sauvignon grapes from the Simonsberg and make an iconic wine.”
In order to obtain optimal fruit quality in the harvest, a significant amount of bunches were removed in the early season, until only one bunch per shoot remained. The grapes were harvested by hand and kept in chilled conditions after destemming to allow good development of the berry flavours. Inoculation with a Bordeaux yeast strain followed and after fermentation the maceration lasted a further 11 days.
The wine was then matured in new tight-grain French oak for 22 months before bottling, after which it was given more time to develop in the bottle.
According to Johan the wine exhibits ripe black currant fruit with perfumed high notes of black cherries, as well as a hint of truffle and lead pencil. The potpourri of layered flavours opens in the glass, showing potential to develop magnificently with careful cellaring. Although the current vintage has already matured for seven years, it will continue to develop until it reaches its peak between 2019-2023.
“This is everything I want from a wine,” says Johan. “It shows Stellenbosch, and is Cabernet Sauvignon – two of the jewels in the South African crown that are surely complemented by The Garland of which Simonsig is immensely proud.”
Each bottle of The Garland 2009 is sold in a specially-designed box at a retail price of R1 375. Only 3 400 bottles were made from this vintage.