Stellenzicht Golden Triangle Shiraz 2008

Colour: Rich, dark intensity with hues of ruby and garnet with faint tinges of purple around the edges.
Bouquet: Wonderful primary fruit flavours of plum, and raspberry with secondary nuances of cloves, mocha and white pepper.
Taste: Medium- to full-bodied with an abundance of red fruit flavours. Succulent mid-palate softness and a friendly tannin structure lead to a long and elegant finish.

Excellent enjoyed on its own or served with venison (especially if combined with bacon), red meat dishes and wild mushroom risotto.

variety : Shiraz [ 100% Shiraz ]
winemaker : Guy Webber assisted by Samantha de Mornay-Hughes
wine of origin : Stellenbosch
analysis : alc : 13.86 % vol  rs : 4 g/l  pH : 3.28  ta : 6.18 g/l  
type : Red  style : Dry  body : Full   wooded
pack : Bottle  size : 0  closure : Cork  

AWARDS
Veritas 2011 - Gold Medal

ageing : Very enjoyable while youthful but added cellaring will enhance the complexity further and round off the "teenage" arrogance. Suggested cellaring of 5 - 8 years is recommended.

in the vineyard : Background
Flanked by the Helderberg and Stellenbosch Mountain, between Stellenbosch and the False Bay coast, lies an exceptional tract of land that benefits from terroirs eminently suited to the cultivation of the highest quality wine grapes. This jewel in the crown of the magnificent Stellenbosch wine-growing region is known as the Golden Triangle. At its core lies Stellenzicht.

The award-winning Stellenzicht range reserves its Golden Triangle label for those wines which most eloquently demonstrate the unique terroir of this special part of the Helderberg, home to some of South Africa's most exceptional wines.

Vineyard Location
Planted between 1989 and 2001, the vineyards bearing the fruit from which this wine was created are grown on slopes facing west and north-west and in soils of decomposed granite and Table Mountain sandstone. These vineyards yielded an average of 5,9 tons per hectare.

The climatic conditions of this vintage were characterised by higher-than-normal summer temperatures combined with slightly higher rainfall figures and more wind. The overall effect of these resulted in the fruit reaching ripeness earlier than normal resulting in wines with great elegance and finesse.

Viticulturists: Eben Archer & Johan Mong

about the harvest: The grapes were harvested in March, both by hand and machine, at an average of 25,3° Balling.

in the cellar : As grapes from seven individual vineyard blocks were used, the fruit from each of the vineyards was picked, vinified and matured separately before being blended. The vinification processes were similar for each with maturation/oaking figures given below being an average for the blend.

After destalking and crushing the mash was fermented in stainless steel tanks before being removed from the skins after a period of three to five days. Fermentation took place at 26° to 28°C with pump-overs taking place around 8 times per day.

Malolactic fermentation was spontaneous and took place in both tank and barrel, depending on the batch.

After the completion of malolactic fermentation, the wines from the different vineyard blocks were racked and returned or transferred to barrel for their respective maturation periods.

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Shiraz
Shiraz