| Viticultural Information |
| Cultivar |
Shiraz |
| Soil type |
This vineyard is planted on a Southern slope on cartref soils. |
| Method of trellising |
Two-wire trellis, the first wire 60cm above the ground. |
| Method of pruning |
Cordon trained, with 2 bud spurs. |
| Sugar level at harvest |
24 Balling |
| Yield per hectare |
6 tons / hectare |
| Irrigation regime |
Selective, supplementary irrigation to sustain the vine at an optimal level. |
| Climatic conditions |
Growing season:
Growth was generally vigorous, mainly due to good soil moisture and the mild climate. Canopy management was of the utmost importance to
ensure good, effective foliage. Strong, cold winds during the flowering period (mid October to mid November) caused looser bunches, resulting in uneven flower and bunch
development. Apart from looser bunches, there was also unevenness between bunches as well as berries on the same bunch. To improve quality we had to remove
green bunches and even berries at various stages. Even though disease pressure conditions were occasioned by regular spring showers,
the rest of the season proved exceptionally healthy due to the dry, mild climatic conditions.
January showers, as well as the warm February weather and dry sunshine add to this mid vintage.
The harvest:
Despite the heatwave at the start of the harvest, the nights remained relatively cool and most vineyards were properly buffered by sufficient available water and optimal canopies. As a result of the heat most cultivars ripened much earlier than last year, with excellent colour and concentrated fruit. February rain showers were beneficial to the late cultivars such as Shiraz and Cabernet. Moderate temperatures with a few warm days and hardly any rain during the latter part of ripening ensured excellent, slow ripening conditions and phenolic ripeness. Full ripeness in late cultivars was achieved at lower sugars than usual. The cool spring and summer temperatures were very conducive to the production of top quality grapes. |
| Wood treatment |
Selected, tight grain, small barrels, all wood air dried and season for minimum 24 months, 3fills |
| Length of barrel maturation |
12 months |