The Royal Chenin Blanc Old Vines Steen 2015
| Country: | South Africa |
| Region: | Riebeek Kasteel |
| Grape Type: | Chenin Blanc |
| Winery: | Riebeek Cellars |
The Royal Shiraz Cabernet is made from 60% Shiraz, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon
Juicy and fruity, Australian in style with blackberry, blackcurrant and spice flavors, subtle vanilla and black pepper. Smooth and well balanced, a lingering finish of berries, spice and beautifully integrated oak. Pairs well with red meat, especially classic recipes like roasted leg of lamb, grilled lamb chops and beef kebabs.
The Royal Shiraz Cabernet is made from 60% Shiraz, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon
Juicy and fruity, Australian in style with blackberry, blackcurrant and spice flavors, subtle vanilla and black pepper. Smooth and well balanced, a lingering finish of berries, spice and beautifully integrated oak. Pairs well with red meat, especially classic recipes like roasted leg of lamb, grilled lamb chops and beef kebabs.
Maurice Protheau Mercurey Blanc Premier Cru Les Champs Martin is 100 percent Chardonnay.
The name "Les Champs Martin" comes from one of the previous owners, Mr. Martin, who was the owner of the land. In French "les champs" means the fields. Literally, the fields of Mr. Martin.
The wine has a beautiful brilliant colour (gold pale). The nose on this young wine is starting to open. A beautiful aromatic profile is already emerging. White flowers and notes of almond tree flowers are enhanced with vanilla bursts, slightly toasted. On the palate the wine has a nice minerality with a good acidity and finishing nicely on some fresh almond aromas. It also has some spicy notes which give to the wine a very good length. The wine is structured on the roundness and amplitude, with a richness and a vivacity which confers a beautiful harmony.
From the 1er Cru "Les Champs Martin", situated in the Northern part of the Mercurey village.
Average age of the vines is 16 years. It was planted in 2001.
The well riped grapes are hand picked in crates in the morning to keep the morning freshness, brought and pressed directly upon arrival at the winery. The must is then decanted in cold, statically, in thermo regulated stainless steel vats. On the following morning, the must is then brought down into the barrels by gravity. It will be intoned in different barrels for 10 to 11 months. It will be stirred during breeding to give it roundness and richness until the end of the malolactic fermentation
Young, as an aperitif or with some shellfishes.
Older, it will match perfectly with a toasted turbot or dishes with fish.
The Royal Chenin Blanc Old Vines Steen is 100 percent Chenin Blanc.
As the unofficial drink of the Riebeek Valley, Chenin Blanc is the perfect every day wine that offers uncomplicated quality for the novice and connoisseur alike. Packed with upfront melon fruit, the nose charms with an abundance of guava and gooseberries as well as the signature hint of honey. The palate follows through with fruit flavors balanced by a crisp acid to ensure a fresh and fruity style of wine.
Enjoy well-chilled as a lovely crisp glass on its own but ideal for al fresco dining and with light summer fare. Beautiful with salads, anti pasti and seafood.
The Riebeek Cellars Estate
Riebeek Cellars was established in 1941 and is situated in Riebeek Kasteel at the foot of Bothma's Kloof Pass. This medium-sized winery on the western coast of the Cape Province of South Africa sources its grapes from the fertile Riebeek Valley and the slopes of the mountain where the climate is very similar to the Mediterranean. Through the years as vineyard practices developed, cultivars were planted in soil and at slopes best suited to them. These well-tended vineyards enable the production of high quality wines which makes Riebeek Cellars the choice of wine buyers internationally. Well-known both in South Africa and abroad, Riebeek Cellars manages a variety of brands for various countries.
Heritage
Corporal Pieter Cruythoff, a scout of Jan van Riebeeck, founded the Riebeek Valley in 1661. Impressed by the single standing mountain, he called it Kasteelberg (“Castle Mountain”) commemorating the Castle of Good Hope in Cape Town, the fortress of Commander Jan van Riebeeck. The twin towns, Riebeek Kasteel and Riebeek West, established at the foot of Kasteelberg, are therefore also suitably named after Van Riebeeck.
The Riebeek Valley is a mecca of wonderful wines, exceptional food and exquisite art where tourists and locals alike are forever tempted into spending more time than allowed. The serene valley falls in the bigger Swartland region which is called the 'bread basket' of South Africa for its grain production, while it is further internationally acclaimed for its high quality olive products. With various hotels and fine-dining restaurants as well as true country hospitality, the Riebeek Valley has become a very popular tourist destination. The ultimate charm of Riebeek is however in its people and their commitment and passion for wine.
"Located in the Western Cape region of South Africa, this winery was established in 1941, which makes it relatively old compared to all the new wineries that have sprung up in this area. Among the first Pinotages I can recommend, it’s also a good value. Pinotage, which is, of course, ubiquitous in South Africa, was first made in 1941, when the Cinsault grape (primarily grown in southern France and the Rhone Valley) was crossed with Pinot Noir." - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (Issue 201, June 2012).
Tasting Notes: Deep, dark ruby color, aromas of blue fruits, confectionery and subtle licorice characters, thick luscious palate with good structure and soft finish.
The Blend is 44% Rubired, 31% Durif and 25% Shiraz.
Rubired is a cross between Tinto Cao and Alicante Ganzin (which is itself a cross between Alicante Bouschet and Aramon Rupestris Ganzin). It is known for being particularly adapted to the hot climate and producing dark wines, as the color is not only coming from the grape's skin, but also from the grape juice itself. It was developed in 1958 by H.P. Olmo of the University of California Davis.
Durif, also known as Petite Sirah, is also a cross of two different grape varietals: Syrah and Peloursin. It was created by French botanist François Durif in 1860 while keeping Syrah and Peloursin plants under the same roof; it happened from a natural process called "cross-pollination." The grape itself is known for its very aromatic, plummy character.
Shiraz, which we all know for being the most recognized grape varietal of Australia, brings some minty, spicy and fruity characteristics to the wines.
Grapes are crushed and destemmed then placed in rotary fermenters where three rotations per day break up the cap and extract color and tannin. Commercial yeast is added for fermentation. The juice is pressed to stainless steel for malolactic fermentation, undergoes oak maturation for 9 months, then is stored in stainless steel.
Pairs well with BBQ lamb with roast vegetables.
Riebeek Cellars Shiraz is made from 100% Shiraz.
Cold soaked for one day and then inoculated with selected yeast.
Fermentation temperature was between 24 - 26 degree Celsius. Malolactic
fermentation was done with French oak chips and American oak staves. This
was then blended with wine matured in 2nd and 3rd fill barrels for 12 months.
Often referred to as Shiraz Country, the Riebeek Valley is renowned for
exceptional Shiraz wines. The Riebeek Shiraz is a lively rich wine, full bodied
with a subdued smokiness on the nose and a pallet of ripe fruit and
interesting spice.
Well-balanced and smooth, the aftertaste lingers with the exciting flavors of
Christmas pudding.
Perfect companion to meat, game, duck, goose, pasta and cheese. Serve at
room temperature
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Mullineux Swartland Syrah is 100 percent Syrah
Winemaking:
Hand picked grapes are cooled in our cold room, where after they are crushed and destemmed to tank, and between 20 to 50% whole bunches are added. 25ppm SO2 is added, and as with all our wines, no other additions are made. The must is initially pigeaged once a day. After about 4 days, fermentation begins with indigenous yeasts, and the wine is pigeaged once or twice a day, depending on extract and tannin development. Temperatures are not allowed to exceed 30 degrees centigrade. Fermentation lasts from 7 to 10 days, and after fermentation, two to four weeks (also depending on tannin development) skin contact is given. The wine is then drained and pressed to barrel for malolactic fermentation and maturation. The different parcels are racked in Spring to blend the wine, which is then returned to barrel and bottled unfiltered and unfined after 11 months in barrel. Please decant (or give time!) when drunk young.
Maturation:
11 months, French oak 225L & 500L barrels, and 2000L Foudre. 15% new wood in total.
Tasting Note:
Black pepper, crushed ripe berry, and tobacco aromas linger on the nose. This juice is every bit of full-bodied on the palate. Well integrated tannin gives the wine a silky texture. Flavors of blackberry, herb, and spice layer throughout and into the long silky finish. This is a big wine that can take on another 10+ years of age and will need some serious decanting if consumed early. 30 minutes of decanting will allow the wine to open beautifully.
Review:
Swartland (13.5%) Seven different vineyards on a combination of granite, schist and iron soils make up the blend of this brilliant, textbook Syrah. Running to 35,000 bottles, it has a touch of new oak, wonderful fragrance and perfume, some whole bunch grip and a smoky, brambly mid palate. 2017-23 - Tim Atkins 94 Points
"The 2015 Syrah includes two additional vineyards on granite soils after the 2015, whilst the whole bunch component is back up to 60%. It has a clean and precise bouquet with floral-tinged red berry fruit (red cherry and wild strawberry), nicely focused and developing more intensity with aeration. The palate is very well balanced with crisp acidity, fine structure, much more detail than the 2014 and I think that is down to the higher whole bunch proportion, the sense of energy flowing through on the long finish. Compared to the 2014 Syrah, I much prefer this: more freshness and complexity. - Neal Martin"
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (Issue #230, April 2017), 93 pts
Finca Sobreno Ildefonso Toro is made from 100% Tinta de Toro
Very Old Vines (Minimum 80 years of age)
Aged in 100% new French Oak Barrels for 18 months + 12 months in the bottle
The wine is produced in very limited quantity from the estate's oldest vineyards (80 years old vines) and is fermented in 2,000-liter open-top fermentation vats. Our winemaker punches down the cap by hand three times a day using the traditional pigeage method to ensure optimal extraction.
The name of the wine is the surname of the San Ildefonso family, father Roberto and daughter Paloma, and represents the apex of their winemaking tradition.
Tasting notes
Deep cherry color.
Very expressive, elegant and complex with ripe fruit, mineral notes, sweet spices, chocolate aromas and intense toasts.
Powerful, tasty, round and very smooth. We find again black berries, mineral notes, chocolates with roasted aromas. Very long after taste.
Soil types:
The soil is formed by sediments of sand, clay and limestone, which produce a dark lime-bearing topsoil, with fine and coarse sands.
This year we had low rain falls getting very healthy bunches. Besides, cool nights and not very hot days at the end of the cycle were excellent for a complete ripening of the grapes, full of nuances.
Winemaking and aging
The fruit is manually selected and picked in small cases. After destemming the grapes are stored in 2.000 liter open fermenter tanks and cold maceration at 8ºC during 8 days. Three times a day the cap of the skins is submerged manually (pigeage) and after the alcoholic fermentation is finished at a controlled temperature, the wine is macerated until the wine maker determines the appropriate extraction polyphenols. The malolactic fermentation is carried out in new French oak barrels. The wine was aged in new French oak barrels for 16 months, followed by another 12 months minimum in the bottle.
Ideal for red meats, lamb, roasted meat and strong cheeses
