Zandvliet Kalkveld Shiraz 2005

Two things Paul and Dan de Wet do well is breed outstanding race horses – Pocket Power is one of their babies – and make simply great wine.

The Zandvliet Shiraz was first bottled over 35 years ago and is made from the Shiraz vineyards growing on the alluvial soils of the river which runs through the estate.

The grapes for the Kalkveld shiraz grow in a single vineyard on the southern slopes of a hill on the estate which is a conglomerate of pebbles, and clay, and of course limestone for which the region is famous.  Limestone is good for horse breeding too.

The wine is a deep ruby colour with garnet flashing around the edges.  The   nose is multilayered with spice, vanilla, mulberries and smoke.  The tastes are all of dark fruit, plums, mulberries, with a dash of fennel.  It is soft and smooth in the mouth, no harsh tannins or acid, just a perfect balance of the fruit, acid, tannin and wood from the 300litre new French Oak Barrels from the Bernard Cooperage in which  the wine lay for 14 months.  Delicious long lasting aftertaste too.

It would be a good idea to glug this into a decanter about 30 minutes before drinking for added pleasure.

Would be good with venison casserole, and just great with a piece of fatty sausage off the braai.

Recommended retail price is R127.00 – and it’s a great price quality ratio.

[note - the bottle in the illustration shows a 2003 vintage, but I'm talking about the 2005 here.]