2016 Rust En Vrede Wine Estate, 1694 Classification, Stellenbosch, Western Cape, South Africa
About this WINE
Rust En Vrede Wine Estate
The Rust En Vrede estate has been producing wines for 315 years in Stellenbosch but it was only in the last 37 years that this family-owned winery has become known for its top-level Shiraz, Cabernet and Merlot blends.
This is one of the big names in South African wine: President Nelson Mandela served it at a Nobel Peace Prize dinner and whilst hosting the Queen of Denmark, and Rust En Vrede was nominated as the first South African red wine in the Top 100 Wines of the World, an achievement which was repeated for four consecutive years. Rust En Vrede maintains this high standard of quality today and continues to win awards for its wines.
For 30 years Rust en Vrede has had only two appointed winemakers, Kevin Arnold and Louis Strydom. In 2007 Coenie Snyman was appointed winemaker for Rust en Vrede, albeit as part of a bigger team. The company and the estate are now headed up by Jean Engelbrecht.
Syrah/Shiraz
A noble black grape variety grown particularly in the Northern Rhône where it produces the great red wines of Hermitage, Cote Rôtie and Cornas, and in Australia where it produces wines of startling depth and intensity. Reasonably low yields are a crucial factor for quality as is picking at optimum ripeness. Its heartland, Hermitage and Côte Rôtie, consists of 270 hectares of steeply terraced vineyards producing wines that brim with pepper, spices, tar and black treacle when young. After 5-10 years they become smooth and velvety with pronounced fruit characteristics of damsons, raspberries, blackcurrants and loganberries.
It is now grown extensively in the Southern Rhône where it is blended with Grenache and Mourvèdre to produce the great red wines of Châteauneuf du Pape and Gigondas amongst others. Its spiritual home in Australia is the Barossa Valley, where there are plantings dating as far back as 1860. Australian Shiraz tends to be sweeter than its Northern Rhône counterpart and the best examples are redolent of new leather, dark chocolate, liquorice, and prunes and display a blackcurrant lusciousness.
South African producers such as Eben Sadie are now producing world- class Shiraz wines that represent astonishing value for money.
Buying options
Add to wishlist
wine at a glance
Delivery and quality guarantee