About this WINE
Riebeek Cellars
Riebeek Cellars can be found in the small Swartland town of Riebeek Kasteel at the foot of the Kasteelberg Mountain. They work with numerous small farmers and vineyard owners in the Riebeek Valley and have access to exceptional old-vine fruit. We work closely with them blending and selecting suitable parcels to produce Kraal Bay.
Swartland
After Stellenbosch, the west coast district of Swartland (25 miles due north of Cape Town, between the towns of Malmesbury and Piketberg) now ranks as the Cape's most exciting wine-producing district.
Settled initially by nomadic Khoikhoi from Namibia, the Dutch brought trade and vines to the region in the 17th century. Viticulture was developed only more recently.This contrasts with an ancient geology which has brought a mix of shale, arenite sandstone and granite soils air-conditioned by the Atlantic Ocean nearby.
Chenin Blanc and Shiraz seem to do best, as exemplified by the wines of Eben Sadie and Mullineux.
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.
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Description
Riebeek Cellars is nestled in the Riebeek Valley against the stunning backdrop of the Kasteelberg mountains. The climate is very similar to the Mediterranean. Here, low-yielding bush vines grow at up to 300 metres above sea-level, producing wines with a lively concentration and freshness.
Vibrant and bright, this is a blend of Syrah, Cinsault and Mourvèdre with aromas of red-berry fruit and violets. The palate is bursting with crunchy briar fruit and red cherry. Fine, juicy tannins and refreshing acidity make this wine the perfect apéritif, but it also pairs beautifully with food. Drink now to 2020.
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