Excelsior Shiraz (South Africa)

Vineyards: excelsior’s vineyards are characterized mostly by calcareous clay soils with some parcels planted to shale. These limestone-rich soils are well drained which allows the vines to stress resulting in small concentrated berries. Robertson experiences afternoon winds that cool the vineyards on hot days. Vintage: 2015 was a very good vintage as it was one of the driest summers experienced in a long time. As a result the grapes were exceptionally healthy and concentrated displaying intense varietal flavors. Vinification and maturation: the grapes were hand harvested de-stemmed and crushed. The wine was fermented in closed stainless steel tanks for seven days with pumpovers of one hour performed twice daily. 40% of the wine was aged in a combination of french and american oak for six months. Tasting notes: this bright jammy syrah is bursting with juicy flavors of dark berries cherry licorice and plum with hints of chocolate and asian spice that are laced with sub