Stellenzicht recently released 3 new wines as part of the Speciality Range which includes the favourite Plum Pudding Hill Syrah to a make a flagship quartet of wines which jointly express the soils and terrain of Stellenzicht and the passion and skills of long-serving winemaker, Guy Webber.
The wines are completely different from each other, yet each one shares the same meticulous attention to detail and the strong sense of place enjoyed by all Stellenzicht’s wines.
“If we gave the same components to 10 different winemakers, we’d get 10 different blends – that’s how personal preference influences the wine. The Speciality Range is a vintage expression and not a winemaker’s expression.” – Guy Webber.
The Vine Post Pinotage 2014 and the Plum Pudding Hill Syrah 2011 – offer unique studies in the varied, specific terroirs of Stellenzicht. Based high on the slopes and subject to plenty of strong winds from False Bay, the Vine Post Pinotage vineyard is unusually planted using the stok-by-paaltjie or ‘1 vine, 1 stake’ method. Yields are ridiculously-low giving intensely-concentrated fruit enhanced by new oak contact of more than two years.
The Plum Pudding Hill Syrah vineyard is almost 30 years old and also lies facing False Bay where the winds allowed for a longer than usual ripening period. Made in a bold, fruit-forward style, the Plum Pudding Hill gains complexity over time, adding layers of interest and intrigue to every glass.
One for the math geeks
The Ratio 2015 is a white Bordeaux-style blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon based on the Golden Ratio of 1:1,618 found throughout nature and utilised by artists and mathematicians such as Da Vinci and Fibonacci.
Grapes from older vineyards are co-fermented, partly in stainless steel and partly in large new oak barrels, before being blended and left on the lees for 15 months for added richness and texture.
Using the Golden Ratio removes any of Guy’s personal preferences when it comes to making up the blend, giving a purity of process to match the pure fruit flavours and intricate complexity of the wine.
The winemaker’s favourite
The Mistaken Identity 2013 red Cape Blend is a wine very close to Guy’s heart and one which he describes as “the ultimate expression of powerful elegance”.
The blend – 50% each of Pinotage and Shiraz – came about by accident when Guy mistakenly-believed he was blending different Shiraz components at a trade show in Bordeaux. Realising he had actually blended Pinotage and Shiraz, he was struck by the intensity and complexity of the wine, realising the two varieties’ shared roots in the Rhône valley created a perfect complement for each other.
Over the years, he has tried different proportions but has consistently found the marriage of equal partners gives him the flavours and texture he requires in this full-bodied, yet elegant wine.
The range:
- The Ratio 2015
- The Mistaken Identity 2013
- The Vine Post Pinotage 2014
- Plum Pudding Hill Syrah 2011
Try it for yourself
The Speciality Range is available exclusively from the brand home and can also be delivered to your door when purchased online through the Vinotèque.
