Situated on the Agulhas Plain at the tip of Africa, the charming little village of Elim has fascinated De Grendel winemaker, Charles Hopkins, since 1994 and it is the potential of the area that drew him in. To the incredible benefit of De Grendel Loyalty Club members, Charles’ unique relationship with the Elim area has now resulted in the exclusive release of the new De Grendel Elim Shiraz 2016.

The Shiraz wine has a few different styles, but only a handful of areas in South Africa produce a style that falls into the black pepper category – known amongst winemakers as rotundone. This unique flavour of black pepper is well-known to be one of the most sought after styles in Shiraz, with many winemakers being unable to put their finger on what exactly it is that produces this flavour. Much to his delight, Charles has found that the Elim area has been most consistent in producing this alluring flavour. The De Grendel Elim Shiraz presents smoky, cold meat and blackcurrant tasting notes as well as this elusive, yet spicy rotundone style.

Grapes were bought from Elim and crushed in an open fermenter. A “punch down” method is used so as to extract as much as possible, and the wine is then matured for 12 months in 2nd and 3rd fill barrels. Only 1500 magnums (1.5l) will be produced and sold.