Description
About the Estate
Zevenwacht Wine Estate, situated on the beautiful Stellenbosch Wine Route is a modern wine farm with a 300 year history. Owned and managed by the Johnson Family, the Estate has a strong commitment to historic and cultural preservation, as well as conservation of the surrounding indigenous environment. Two prime farming locations provide the grapes for the Zevenwacht winery. The home vineyard on the Estate’s panoramic 450 hectare maritime influenced property, supplies the majority of the grapes. The farm Zevenrivieren, situated at the crest of the Helshoogte Pass, provides winemaker, Jacques Viljoen, with a boutique selection of grapes that add to the fascinating variety of the wines.
| Wine Style: | Full bodied | ||||||||
| When to Enjoy: | A superb dinner accompaniment
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| How to Serve: | Good room temperature of 16-18 degrees
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| Our meal suggestions: | A hearty stew with root vegetables or a roasted leg of venison served with caramelized onions and a dark cherry sauce.
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| The wine itself: | Purple red in colour, with the nose that exudes aromas of violets, dried spices and concentrated black prunes with a slow release of red cranberry and dark chocolate. The palate impresses with density on entry matched with persistent yet supple tannins – a multi layered wine. This texture is perfectly offset by balanced acidity that allows for a remarkable length of finish.
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| What about the grapes? | 52% Shiraz, 42% Grenache, 6% Mourvedre | ||||||||
| And the vineyards (terroir): | We used three blending components – Shiraz, Grenache & Mourvedre. These vineyards are all situated on South westerly and westerly facing slopes ranging in altitude from 100m – 200m above sea level. All the vines are trellised on a seven-wire hedge system that allows for perfect containment of the sometimes vigorous growth habits of the Shiraz and Grenache varieties. Pruned to two-bud spurs, allowing for 16 – 18 bearers per running meter.
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| How was it made: | All cultivars were fermented separately in open red wine fermenters. The fermentation temperatures hovered around 26° C peaking at ±28° C. Regular pump overs helped with extracting intense colour and soft, pliable tannins. After fermentation the wine was pressed and racked to 2nd, 3rd & 4th French oak 500l barrels. The different components were aged for 12-16 months before blending.
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| Should this wine age / mature: | A delicious wine to be enjoyed now or over the next five years. | ||||||||
| Technical Facts: | Grape Origin: Stellenbosch Wine Variety: Shiraz, Grenache, MourvedreBody: Medium bodied Barrel Treatment: Wooded |
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