Goats in Villages Shiraz Pinotage 2008

posted in Wines

When Rebecca and Gary Mink moved from the United States to the wilds of the Caprivi in Northern Namibia to care for children orphaned by AIDS, their immense courage and spirit could not fully offset their limited financial resources. They were soon overwhelmed by the magnitude of the problem and an urgent appeal was sent for goats. Our caprine colleagues who stayed behind in the Western Cape have carefully selected the finest grapes from which to make this intense wine with its ripe spicy fruit, judicious lick of new wood and elegant structure, amply befitting the noble gesture made by the Goats do Roam in African Villages.

IN THE VINEYARD:

The Shiraz grapes are predominantly from a selection of dryland vineyards grown on deep decomposed shale soils in the Malmesbury and Agter-Paarl regions. The Pinotage is mostly from the Primo vineyard in Agter-Paarl, which is a 12 year old trellised dryland vineyard, as well as from the Fairview farm in Paarl.

HARVEST DATE: February 2008

WINEMAKING:

The Shiraz is destalked, not crushed, and fermented in pumpover style stainless steel tanks. Once fermented, the grapes were pressed and malolactic fermentation took place in stainless steel tanks. Once completed the wine was transferred to a mixture of 2nd to 4th fill French and American oak for 14 months. The fermentation protocol for the Pinotage was similar to the Shiraz above, and the wine was aged in used French and American oak barrels. After 14 months the two wines were blended and bottled, with no fining, and only light filtration.

VARIETIES:

Shiraz    70%
Pinotage    30%

WINEMAKER’S COMMENTS:

The dominant variety is a rich, spicy Shiraz blended with a deep flavoured Pinotage. Our 2008 vintage red wines have really developed well and show soft, yet ripe tannins. Anthony de Jager

TASTING NOTE:

Deep purple red colour. Nose shows bold currant, liquorice and spice aromas and underlying dark fruit. The wine has a rich entry and a lively mid palate, where ripe fruit flavours emerge. Good tannins carry through to the finish.

WINE ANALYSIS

Wine of Origin Coastal
Alcohol 14%
Residual sugar 2.49g/l
Total acid 3.55g/l
pH 3.56

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