Stellenzicht Golden Triangle Shiraz 2004 Sunday, Jul 29 2007
Tasting Notes and South Africa and Variety and Red and shiraz et al
A 135 Ha vineyard eight km from the ocean in Stellenbosch on the Cape in South Africa.
Dark colour and a real brooding nose that has a tar/char style nose with the fruit lurking in the back. The palate is quite tannic with a firm finish. It shows the same tar characters suggested by the nose that I suspect are oak related. It is a big, brooding style wine. The berry flavour is there in the back behind the tar and char. A reasonable wine but not my style. Once again, the price is a guestimate since my friend believes it is not imported to Australia.
Tasted : Jul07
Alcohol : 14.5%
Price : $25
Closure : Cork
Drink : 2007 - 2009
Source : Friend
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July 29th, 2007 at 4:56 pm| Quote |
David,
This winery borders Haskell Vineyards, where I have an interest. I was over there last month and drove into Stellenzicht, went to the cellar door and introduced myself as their neighbour.
The lady behind the counter asked where I was from and I said, “Haskell Vineyards”. She then said, “Where is that”? I then pointed to the winery which is about 500 metres away and has been there for 4 years! She just shrugged and said she had never heard of us.
Stellenzicht was once one of the biggest names in SA wine. It is located in the “Golden Triangle” (as the name suggests), which is arguably SA’s most prestigious wine growing sub region. A few years ago it was bought by Distell (SA’s version of Hardy’s/Fosters) and doesn’t appear to have the same attention to detail as when it was privately owned.
Case in point is their current leaf roll virus problem. The whole hill (around 10 hectares) that faces us has gradually been infested with it over the past few years, and only this year has it gone out of production. I’m not sure if this was the Shiraz vineyards but it is a beautiful slope and they have some super aspects and soil for growing great grapes.
Anyway, the SA story is a work in progress. Great potential but some disease issues holding things back. By the way I did a Shiraz judging when I was over last and the best of them were,
Boekenhootskloof
Koelfontein
Quoin Rock
Cederberg
Raka
Columella gets big raps from overseas but didn’t excite blind. I also like the Cirrus Syrah from Ernie Els (Shiraz/Viognier), especially the latest vintages.
2004 was a bit of a tough vintage too. 2003 was the pick of the past five years.
Cheers
July 29th, 2007 at 6:00 pm| Quote |
So Grant, I think you have just dobbed yaself in as a potential member of Davids wine mule club.
I have had a really good Chard from someone about 2 years ago but alas lost the info.
Brett was a major issue in many of the wines too. BTW, Have you bumped into Alex from Vinum?
July 29th, 2007 at 7:21 pm| Quote |
David,
Good chard’s- Bouchard Finlayson, Moreson, Hamilton Russell and Chamonix are the best I have tried so far.
Brett- getting a lot better. A couple of winemakers have told me that it was often referred to as a terroir character going back a way, things have moved on a fair way since.
Alex from Vinum? Is he Sth African?
GD
July 29th, 2007 at 11:10 pm| Quote |
Alex Dale is the guy and he imports Gillet barrels as well as making wine. He is English but has spent massive amts of time in Burg where his family own a wine bar etc. David Hamilton or was it David Russel? has been here and I suspect the Chard was something like Mulderbosch?? Barrel fermented. I got 2 vintages brought out and they both looked very good.
July 30th, 2007 at 7:26 am| Quote |
Ah yes, Mulderbosch is very good too. I think that the aromatic whites are really very good too, especially Vergelegen and Cape Point. Those two are well worth a look.
GD
July 30th, 2007 at 12:15 pm| Quote |
Stellenszicht. Sounds like those pimples you have as a teenager that explode onto a mirror from afar.
July 31st, 2007 at 10:37 pm| Quote |
Ah, be kind, dear Pious, for you may one day zicht fair Stellenbosch, founded in 16**, by one Simon of the Stel, protector of the Huguenot. I grew up - some say not - in the region: big mountains, big valleys, late harvest rieslings, quiet reds and bum-puckering Steen (aka Chenin) - until the bureaucrats made a mess of it, as they do. Let us wish them well - the history deserves it.