1685 Shiraz

The Shiraz will be hand-harvesting and destemmed by a Pellenc mechanical sorter to remove any green and to allow only clean and healthy berries into the fermentation tank. A portion of the grapes are fermented in open top stainless steel tanks. Manual punch downs of the skins were conducted to ensure a fine tannin and colour extraction. Fermentation lasted 10 days. Fermentation peaks at 26°C, during which time thorough aerations took place while pumping over.

The grapes originated from high-quality vineyard sites around Stellenbosch, Elgin and the Swartland that were planted on a variety of soils, each specifically selected for its unique contribution to the fi nal wine. Strict vineyard management included shoot thinning in mid-October and again in early December, leaving an average of two to three shoots per spur. Bunch thinning and green harvesting were all done in the vineyards to promote colour, tannin and fruit ripeness, and to maximise the fruit aroma expression and wine concentration. The vineyards were hand-harvested during March, and all bunches were sorted in the vineyard to ensure that only the most perfect grapes reached the winery.

Matured in a combination of new(20%-500L barrels) and older French oak barrels for 12-14 months. Grapes from each vineyard were fermented separately in stainless steel for 10 - 14 days. Specially selected cool-climate grapes were made in the traditional Syrah style to promote spice and pepper.