Michelangelo Awards 2005 - Silver Medal
Veritas 2005 - Bronze
Colour: Dark ruby red.
Bouquet: Oak-laced aromas of dark chocolate and sweet berries.
Taste: Richly concentrated fruit flavours on the palate, complemented by tastes of prunes.
This wine is the ideal partner to robust dishes made from game poultry, venison and red meats, especially stews and casseroles.
in the vineyard : Seven leading vineyard owners in the Durbanville Hills district joined together to create Durbanville Hills together with Distell to promote the regional individuality of this prime wine growing area, characterised by hills. Just 10 kms from the cold Atlantic Ocean, it boasts a temperate climate with Atlantic sea breezes cooling the vines during the summer months. Grapes for this brand, which has already attracted widespread positive attention both in South Africa and abroad, are sourced only from these growers, all of whom fall under the limited appellation of Durbanville. All member vineyards subscribe to IPW (Integrated Production of Wine) growing practices, designed to sustain natural resources. They are dryland vineyards, encouraging a process of natural selection. In addition, a meticulous crop control is applied to further limit yields and promote concentration of varietal flavour.
The grapes for this wine were selected from two distinctly different vineyards – one on a sunny, north-facing hill, chosen for the prominent varietal aromas of the grapes and the other a cool, south-facing slope, chosen for the sound structure the grapes would impart to the wine.
in the cellar : After a day of cold soaking, the must was fermented on the skins for eight days at 29°C until dry and then left on the skins for two weeks to allow for extended maceration to soften the texture. The fermenting juice was mixed with the skins every two hours to impart an intensity of colour and flavour.
Fermentation took place in stainless steel Dizio tanks from Italy. Maximum fruit, colour and tannin extraction from the skins was made possible through continuous computer-regulated pump-over cycles. The fermenting juice was kept in closed, oxygen-poor tanks, while the skins remained fully immersed during the entire fermentation and maceration period. After malolactic fermentation, the wine was matured for 12 months in equal quantities of new, second-fill and third-fill 300 litre French oak barrels.