Shiraz

Grilled meats, meaty casseroles and mature cheeses.

A cool start to the season, but warmed up during the peak harvesting period. Very little rain during harvest, resulting in good, healthy fruit.

18 months in barrel, 30% new French and the balance in older barrels

De-stalked, crushed, pumped into stainless steel tanks, pumped over for 6 days, left for 2 days before pressing, racked to barrel for malolactic fermentation.

In 1983 Gyles Webb and his wife's family purchased a run-down fruit farm at the top of the Helshoogte Pass in Stellenbosch where they established Thelema Mountain Vineyards. At a time when the South African wine scene was focused on quantity rather than quality Webb was a trailblazing pioneer on a mission to craft world-class wines. Construction began on the winery in 1987 and Thelema produced its first vintage in 1988. Situated on the slopes of the Simonsberg Thelema occupies mainly south-facing aspects that afford spectacular views of the Simonsberg Drankenstein and Jonkershoek mountains. Elevations ranging from 370 to 640 meters above sea-level make the 157-hectare estate one of the coolest and highest wine farms in Stellenbosch.