Winemaker Notes
An old-school rhone blend with a contemporary style. Crafted from vineyards dotted throughout South Africa’s Coastal Region, it’s a genuine attempt to encapsulate the depth and diversity of South Africa’s wine country while showcasing its champion, Shiraz. More robust than previous vintages with noted blueberry, plum & black pepper character.
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
The fruit is hand harvested, and a minimal intervention approach taken in the winery. Large oak barrels (foudres) are used to help round the wine without giving a marked oak influence. It's quite dark in colour with spicy, ripe dark fruit, a twist of demerara sugar and a hint of smoke. Fresh and fruity with some dark earthy char behind.
With bold fruit flavors and accents of sweet spice, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre form the base of the classic Rhône Red Blend, while Carignan, Cinsault and Counoise often come in to play. Though they originated from France’s southern Rhône Valley, with some creative interpretation, Rhône blends have also become popular in other countries. Somm Secret—Putting their own local spin on the Rhône Red Blend, those from Priorat often include Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In California, it is not uncommon to see Petite Sirah make an appearance.
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.