Cyril Back Shiraz

Gorgeous with grilled lamb or grass fed beef, and strong hard cheeses such as cheddar or a mellow blue.

The fruit for Cyril Back 2023 is selected from our best sites of the vintage. A balanced vintage, with manageable heat led optimal ripening conditions. The Shiraz for this vintage was selected from various sites a cool, dryland bush vine site in Darling and from our spiciest Paarl site. No Cabernet Sauvignon was added this year. The vineyards are regularly visited during the ripening period and tested by tasting, visual and analytical examination to determine the ideal picking date. End of February 2023 for the Shiraz vineyards

Once completed, the wine was racked and returned for barrel ageing in a selection of new, second and third fill French oak barrels. After 19 months in barrel, the final Cyril Back selection was made, showcasing the vintage’s purity of fruit, expression of origin and age worthy structure. Only 10 barrels of which 30% in new oak were selected for the final blend, the balance in 2nd and 3rd fill. The wine was bottled in December 2023, un-fined and with minimal filtration.

All the fruit was handpicked at 24,50°B. The grapes were hand sorted and fermented in open oak fermenters called Foudres. The grapes from the different vineyard sites were all treated as separate batches, with fermentation allowed to start naturally. Manual punch downs (pigeage) were done twice a day. After alcohol fermentation, and a few extra days on the skins, allowed for extract in the wines, with daily tasting to determine pressing of the skins. The skins were gently basket pressed, and the wine aged in French oak barrels for malolactic fermentation.

First and foremost Fairview is a working farm housing a collection of micro-businesses all sharing in a common goal – to create artisanal and sustainable produce with a focus on fine wine and cheese. We’ve been caring custodians of our land since 1693 and invite you to come and visit us and see for yourself how our farm operates supports the environment and contributes to a more holistic lifestyle. Everything we do is driven by our philosophy of being honest honouring our heritage and ensuring that ingenuity perpetually flows from our soils and cellars and straight into the heart of your relationship with us. After all at Fairview we do things differently.