Winemaker Notes
Blend: 54% Grenache, 31% Syrah, 13% Carignan, 1% Cinsaut, 1% Pinotage
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The Grenache-dominant 2021 Elpidios begins with a bright nose of dark cherry skin with hints of herbal elements before expressing dusty red flowers. Medium-bodied, the palate offers a savory, spiced tart plum essence before notions of potpourri spice sway with succulent acidity and fine-grained tannins. This beauty ends with a delightfully food-friendly finish that has me craving duck breast and wild game. It's the best Elpidios yet! Begin drinking in 2024.
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Decanter
A wine that has evolved significantly over the years, moving from being mainly Syrah and Carignan to a Grenache-based blend. The 2021 comprises 54% Grenache, 31% Syrah, 13% Carignan, 1% Pinotage and 1% Cinsault. This is perhaps the best vintage yet – a vindication of David and Nadia Sadie's detail-oriented approach over a decade. The nose is beautifully aromatic, with mastic, fresh thyme and fynbos – it truly smells of the Cape – alongside smoky red cherry and raspberry fruit. Tactile, finely ground tannins frame the wine, which has admirable juiciness on the palate. With air, hints of menthol and licorice emerge, and the fruit profile deepens to reveal fresh blackcurrant. Long and perfumed on the finish, this is quite simply one of the best South African Rhône-style red blends your money can buy. Best served lightly chilled – give it 30 minutes in the fridge door.
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James Suckling
What a fragrant and intense nose of aniseed and licorice, cracked pepper, blue and red berry fruit and potpourri. It’s medium-bodied, elegant yet structured and firm, with fine-grained tannins and a very sleek, long and savory finish. 54% grenache, 31% syrah, 13% carignan, 1% cinsault and 1% pinotage. Drink or hold.
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Vinous
The 2021 Elpidios contains the highest level of Grenache (54%) to lend backbone, augmented by Rhône red varieties. This is matured in 500-liter French oak and a 4,100-liter foudre for the Pinotage. Red plum, cranberry and Provençal herbs on the nose, with fennel and a touch of thyme, quite complex but backward at the moment. The medium-bodied palate has powdery tannins, good backbone and a little more grip than usual. The finish has a slight reduction with a hint of black olive on the aftertaste. Give this 3-4 years in bottle.
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.