Bottle Analysis
Winemaker: Toit Wessels
Main Variety: Shiraz
Alcohol: 14% vol
pH: 3.75
RS: 2.1 g/l
Total Acid: 5.9 g/l
Extract: 35.7 g/l
TSO2: 95mg/l
Bottled: 25 October 2017
Release Date: September 2018
Bottles: 2775 bottles
Origin: Paarl
IPW: Yes
Characteristics
Type: Red
Style: Dry
Taste: Fruity
Tasting Notes
A complex array of black pepper, liquorice and dark cherry with a hint of truffle runs seamlessly onto a rich midpalate, cradled in oak spice and a long, savoury finish.
Food Pairing
The elegant complexity of the His Master’s Choice lends itself well to complex dishes such as oxtail and lamb shank.
Blend Information
Shiraz 90%, Viognier 10%
Viticulture
The precision selected Shiraz vineyard for this ultra-premium wine is North-South facing while the Viognier vineyard faces East-West for less direct sun exposure, both are grown in deep Oakleaf soils. The vines are vertically shoot positioned on extended trellises for optimal vine ripening. Irrigation is scheduled according to soil moisture monitoring and leaf water potential profiles.
Harvest
The grapes were handpicked between 19 January and 2 February 2016.
Both of the component cultivars were picked at optimal physiological ripeness with the following analyses.
Analysis: Shiraz Viognier
Sugar: 24.9 Balling 23.5 Balling
Acid: 5.55g/l 5.95g/l
pH: 3.59 3.45
Winemaking
The intensely flavoured specially selected Shiraz grapes were destemmed onto a sorting table, where any stalks were removed, retaining a 30% wholeberry component into tank.
The sunkissed Viognier component was night harvested to preserve flavour, pressed in the early morning and the clear juice allowed to settle for 2 days at 9 degrees Celsius before being racked to 400 litre French oak barrel to start a gentle natural ferment.
Fermentation of the Shiraz occurred at 24-28 degrees Celsius and pumpovers were done 3-4 times daily to extract aromatics and flavour. During this time the wine underwent a single rack and return for additional soft extraction. Ferment lasted 7 days.
The Viognier ferment ran at 16-19 degrees Celsius and lasted 19 days.
The red wine was pressed immediately after fermentation was completed and then gravity fed to 60% new, 23% second fill and 17% third fill 225 litre French oak barrels for Malolactic fermentation.
After 9 months of maturation the component wines were blended and racked back to barrel for a further 10 months of integration.
- The wine was then lightly filtered prior to bottling.
