Wine Waterkloof, Circumstance Syrah, 2016
With a new world wine with old-world characteristics, this Syrah expresses a distinct style. While the wine is full-bodied and structured, the tannins are fine, the acidity is vibrant and the fruits are expressive. The wine's berry and perfumed notes are reminisced of a true Rhone Valley Syrah.
Characteristics
Wine Style:
Red - A red which combines the new-world spiciness and old-world elegance. A pleasantly easy-drinking wine.
Tasting Notes:
This wine shows a great expression of dark berries and earthy tones infused with a fresh perfume scent. The fruit is carried by fresh acidity and soft and well-balanced tannins. Elegant with great length. Syrah is one of the most versatile wines to pair with food.
Gastronomy:
Pair it with grilled red meats or savoury beef or venison stews. This specific vintage will be interesting with a rabbit dish or even duck.
Vineyards:
The block used for this Circumstance Syrah is planted on the south-facing slopes of the Schapenberg at an altitude of between 240 to 260 metres above sea level and a mere 4kms from the Atlantic Ocean. Strong south-easterly winds help control growth and crop yield. The Syrah vines flourish in granite soils, just as they do in most of the Northern Rhône appellations.
Ageing method:
19 months in French used oak barrels.
Winemaking process:
The grapes were hand-picked, cooled overnight and then processed the following morning. Grapes were not de-stemmed and were sorted to ensure that only the top-quality fruit was placed via gravity into the open-top wooden fermenters. The 100% whole bunch, natural fermentation started spontaneously by utilising the wild yeasts present on the fruit. The berries were punched down two to three times per day. Making sure not to break the stems too quickly and to slowly and softly extract the tannins, the wine was left on the skins for a total of 30 days before it was run off via gravity. The skins were then softly pressed, using a basket press and aged in older 600 litre French barrels for 19 months before bottling. The wine received no fining, which allowed the grape to be purely expressed in the wine. Only sulphur was added and no other additions, such as tartaric acid or enzymes were allowed.
