variety : Shiraz [ 44% Shiraz, 40% Mourvedre, 16% Trincadeira ]
winemaker : De Trafford Team
wine of origin :
analysis : alc : 12.98 % vol rs : 1.7 g/l pH : 3.67 ta : 4.8 g/l va : 0.65 g/l so2 : 72 mg/l fso2 : 6 mg/l
type : Rose wooded
pack : Bottle size : 0 closure : Cork
in the vineyard : The complex stony soils, together with a warm dry climate (350mm) moderated by constant sea breezes provides an ideal terroir to produce something unique. Most of the soils have about 600mm round pudding stones on the surface with weathered shale or slate in the subsoil. All vines are grown as bush vines due to the exceptional low yield and vigour, from the 6 year old vines.
151mm rain during the growing season – slightly more than usual, but still pretty low. Typical dry, windy conditions meant tiny yields and moderate growth. Jan/Feb average max. 29°C, but hottest temp. recorded 33°C. Usually the max. temp. is reached before midday and it is a little cooler in the afternoon due to the strong sea breezes. Vines irrigated in winter, before the growing season and again at veraison to assist the critical ripening process, otherwise the vines are left to fend for themselves and adapt to their environment. Harvest conditions dry with very clean, fresh fruit and mineral flavours in a little lighter style to 2009.
in the cellar : Mourvedre 40%; Trincadeira 16%; Shiraz 44%
Handpicked and carefully sorted in 14 kg flat trays in the cool mornings, to avoid any damaging and transported back to Stellenbosch. Further sorting in Stellenbosch and 98% destemming and gentle crushing directly into small open top tanks, including some 700? wooden vats. Drained off the skins a day or two later at about the time spontaneous natural fermentation starts. Fermentation and further maturation in 225? oak barrels for 9 months. Lightly fined with bentonite (natural clay) and bottled by hand unfiltered.
Bottling date: 24/11/10
Production: 115 x 12 x 750ml