Vintage: 2018

VintageProduct CodeFormatClosureAvailability
2018GA509B186 x 75Natural CorkAvailable
Vegan
Sustainable
Producer

Gabriëlskloof is a wine estate located near Bot River in the Overberg region, east of Cape Town. It was purchased in 2001 by Bernhard Heyns, who had been looking for the ideal place to plant vines. Bernhard’s son-in-law, the talented Peter-Allan Finlayson of Crystallum, took over as winemaker from the 2015 vintage. Peter-Allan is now Cellar Master and oversees general property management, while the young and no less talented Nina Muller has been promoted to winemaker. The farm has 178 hectares, with 68 hectares planted under vine benefitting from a cool climate with maritime influences from Walker Bay. The vineyards are farmed sustainably with the support of full-time vineyard consultant Rosa Kruger (hailed as “the queen of the Cape’s old vines” by Tim Atkin MW). They aim to move to organic farming in the future.

The fruit for the Sauvignon Blanc hails from seven different low-yielding (five point five tonnes per hectare) vineyards planted on rocky sandstone and shale soils. The grapes are then fermented and aged in stainless steel to retain their primary fruit aromas. The resulting wine is elegant in style with fresh acidity and aromas ranging from pear to lemongrass. The ‘Amphora’ Sauvignon Blanc is sourced from a single vineyard in Elgin, plated 300 metres above sea level. As its name suggests, the wine is fermented and aged in clay amphorae, creating layered and complex notes of orange blossom, wild herbs and wet stone. ‘Magdalena’, a barrel-fermented Semillon, is made with minimal intervention and aged in 400 and 500-litre old French barrels. The nose is intense, boasting aromas of lime flower and almonds. A small proportion of Sauvignon Blanc in the blend lends a juicy and sour zest to the palate. Made from old vine Chenin Blanc, the ‘Elodie’ Chenin Blanc is fermented in old French oak barrels, which adds complexity to the wine. The nose offers subtle peach and apricot aromas, coupled with layers of almond and white flowers. The palate is opulent with excellent natural acidity and freshness, typical of old vine Chenin. ‘Rosebud’, as the name suggests, is like an unopened rose, pale pink, elegant and floral. It is dry in style with crisp acidity and a round finish.

Superb value for money, ‘The Blend’ comprises Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, offering juicy black fruit, bright acidity and soft, ripe tannins. The ‘Whole Bunch’ Syrah is vibrant and pure. 100% whole bunch fermented, it has vivid aromas of violets, bramble and black pepper. The fruit for the Cabernet Franc comes from a 20-year-old single vineyard. It is fermented in 500-litre barrels and aged for 18 months, using 30% new French oak. On the nose, it offers notes of tobacco leaf, bell pepper and dark plums. The palate is refined with a beautiful concentration of fruit and a lifted finish. Vines for the ‘Syrah on Sandstone’ are planted on a mountainous site made up of broken sandstone rock. This challenging environment leads to low vigour and very small yields. The wine is savoury, with black olive, white pepper, violets and an effortless cool-climate elegance. The ‘Syrah on Shale’ is denser and more brooding, sourced from a single Bokkeveld shale site on the Gabriëlskloof property. It has notes of cassis, black pepper and Mediterranean herbs.

Vineyards

The fruit for this wine is sourced from the Sandstone vineyard, named due to the soils consisting of mostly broken Sandstone rock. The site's unique soil and cool climate result in an elegant and perfumed style of Syrah. The site is mountainous and this environment leads to low vine vigour and reduced yields for additional concentration and complexity in the wine.

Vintage

The 2018 vintage was a challenging one, with drought as the predominant factor leading to smaller yields. The yield for the Syrah on Sandstone block was down by 20% from 2017 to 2018. The dry weather throughout the season did have its advantages, though, as vines were healthy, with little or no pests and diseases resulting in intensely concentrated and fragrant berries.

Vinification

The fruit was hand-picked into small crates and was cold-settled overnight with 50% left as whole bunches for additional tension and structure. Fermentation occurred using indigenous yeasts in open top fermenters, followed by an extended post fermentation maceration for gentle extraction of tannins. The wine was aged in 500 litre French oak barrels for 18 months, with 30% new oak used.

Tasting Notes & Technical Details

This is an elegant, cool climate Syrah with savoury notes of fynbos and tomato leaf complemented by lifted aromas of raspberry, violet and crushed pepper. There is a wonderful density on the palate, coupled with fine grained tannins and vivid acidity.

Alcohol (ABV)

13%

Acidity

5.8 g/l

Residual Sugar

2 g/l

pH

3.43

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Product Code
Features
Style
GabriëlskloofBot River Sauvignon BlancGA501
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`Magdalena` SemillonGA502
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`Elodie` Chenin BlancGA503
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`Rosebud` Bot RiverGA504
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`The Blend` Walker BayGA505
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Walker Bay Cabernet FrancGA506
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`Syrah on Shale` Walker BayGA507
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`Whole Bunch` SyrahGA510
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`Amphora` Sauvignon BlancGA511
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