Rietvallei Special Select Shiraz 2004

Rietvallei Special Select Shiraz is a full-bodied, complex wine with excellent fruit and wood integration. Lots of work in the vineyard and minimal interference in the cellar allows this wine to express its terroir to the fullest. A deep red, almost black colour.

A spicy mix of ripe fruit and white pepper flavours come through on the nose, with hints of coffee, mocha and bitter chocolate, ending with a noticeable toastiness and soft touch of vanilla flavours. These flavours also carry through on the pallet with a good balance between fruit, tannin and wood.

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variety : Shiraz [ 100% Shiraz ]

winery : Rietvallei Wine Estate

winemaker : Kobus Burger

wine of origin : Breede River

analysis : alc : 14.5 % vol rs : 3.09 g/l pH : 3.43 ta : 6.3 g/l va : 0.701 g/l so2 : 131 mg/l fso2 : 39 mg/l

type : Red style : Dry body : Full taste : Fragrant wooded

pack : Bottle closure : Cork

in the vineyard : This Shiraz is made from a single vineyard called 'Rooiland' (which translates to 'red land'). The vines are planted in calcareous soil.

The selection process for this special cuvée already started with the identification of this specific vineyard and working at it with special care from pruning right through to harvesting ensuring a low yield and premium quality.

about the harvest: The grapes were picked at approximately 27° Balling with an average yield of about 5 tons/ha.

in the cellar : After de-stemming and slight crushing the mash was taken to open fermenters where traditional wine making methods are still implemented. During fermentation, the cap was regularly wetted by the traditional method of pushing the skins down into the must manually every two hours. This together with pumping-over of the must onto the skins allows the colour and flavour to be extracted very effectively.

After approximately 4 days of fermenting, it was pressed at about 8° Balling and taken to stainless steel tanks where it completed alcoholic fermentation. After malolactic fermentation started, it was transferred to new 300-liter French and American oak barrels (50/50) where it was left to mature for 20 months.

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