David & Nadia Elpidios 2015
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Parker
Robert
Product Details
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Winemaker Notes
The Elpidios is produced in similar fashion than our main Grenache in terms of long, gentle extraction, the use of 50% on average whole bunches and then pressed off. After bottling, the wine is aged in bottle for 18 months before release. This vintage is again, based on grapes grown in granite soils from the Paardeberg, blended with structured shale/schists from the east, clay rich soils from the north and iron mixed soils from the west.
Blend: Grenache 33%, Syrah 31%, Carignan 12%, Cinsaut 12%, Pinotage 12%
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A blend of 39% Carignan, 31% Syrah, 16% Pinotage, 9% Cinsault and 5% Grenache, the 2015 Elpidios is made from approximately 50% whole-cluster fruit, which lends the lifted aromatics of dusty rose, wild strawberry, dusty cherry blossom, hints of cherry drop, spiced potpourri and orange rind. Medium-bodied and showing impeccable balance, the wine has a mineral tension that keeps it fresh, with a focused, red-fruited frame, beautifully balanced structure, lifting tannins and energetic acidity. It ends with a long, tightly wound finish that continues to give pleasure long after the wine has left the mouth. This is beautiful juice! I can’t put down my glass! Rating: 93+
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David and Nadia Sadie met at the University of Stellenbosch when he shifted his focus to viticulture after a rugby injury sidelined him from his first love. David went on to work vintages around the world, from Marlborough to St. Emilion, before finally landing back in South Africa. He eventually took over the cellar in the Swartland where Andrea and Chris Mullineux used to make wine prior to their purchase of Roundstone Farm and restored it in 2014. His wife Nadia joined him in 2016 and it’s been a family affair ever since. Nadia oversees viticulture for their project and manages the vineyards that they lease. She employs biological farming, which is to say she avoids the use of any herbicides, plants cover crops and she’s begun experimenting with a conversion to organics. Together, they make high acid, textured wines that have helped them cement their status as some of the mostly highly regarded winemakers in the Swartland.
With hundreds of red grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended red wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged resulting in a wide variety of red wine styles. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a red wine blend variety that creates a fruity and full-bodied wine would do well combined with one that is naturally high in acidity and tannins. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.
How to Serve Red Wine
A common piece of advice is to serve red wine at “room temperature,” but this suggestion is imprecise. After all, room temperature in January is likely to be quite different than in August, even considering the possible effect of central heating and air conditioning systems. The proper temperature to aim for is 55° F to 60° F for lighter-bodied reds and 60° F to 65° F for fuller-bodied wines.
How Long Does Red Wine Last?
Once opened and re-corked, a bottle stored in a cool, dark environment (like your fridge) will stay fresh and nicely drinkable for a day or two. There are products available that can extend that period by a couple of days. As for unopened bottles, optimal storage means keeping them on their sides in a moderately humid environment at about 57° F. Red wines stored in this manner will stay good – and possibly improve – for anywhere from one year to multiple decades. Assessing how long to hold on to a bottle is a complicated science. If you are planning long-term storage of your reds, seek the advice of a wine professional.
Literally meaning "the black land," Swartland takes its name from the endangered, indigenous "renosterbos" (translating to rhino bush), which used to be plentiful enough to turn the entire landscape a dark color certain during times of year. The district, attracting some of the most adventurous and least interventionist winemakers, excels in robust and full-bodied reds as well as quality fortified wines.