"The name, Circle of Life, reflects the renewal of nature. Working with nature allows one to experience its natural cycle each year. Vines awaken from their rest in spring to grow and produce fruit until the next winter when they go to back to sleep, only to be reborn again. Our Circle of Life twosome is inspired by this ongoing cycle that exists not only at Waterkloof, but in life in general," said Waterkloof winemaker Werner Engelbrecht.
Waterkloof's owner, Paul Boutinot, one of the UK's leading wine importers, confesses that he was unaware of the Circle of Life theme song from the Disney hit animation, The Lion King, when he decided on the name for his latest wines. Nevertheless it is rather fitting as Engelbrecht and his team abide by biodynamic farming practices with animals playing a big part in Waterkloof's holistic approach. They use the manure of Dexter cows in the place of herbicides, fungicides and pesticides in the vineyards and utilise pure Percheron horse power, rather than tractors, to help with soil preparation and cultivation.
Waterkloof Circle of Life Red 2008 is the culmination of a unique set of circumstances emanating from site-specific vineyard blocks, some rising up to 300m above sea level, that have shaped the components in the blend.
"Our Circle of Life Red 2008 is not a wine that is driven by varietal or a specific vineyard, nor by a certain style, such as a Bordeaux blend, but rather a description by taste of the totality of Waterkloof," added Engelbrecht.
The Bordeaux varietals in the blend were de-stemmed while the Rhône varietals, depending on the ripeness of the stems, were whole-bunch fermented, but Engelbrecht is reluctant to reveal the precise components that make up the blend as it may take away some of its mystique.
All Waterkloof red wines are naturally fermented in open-top wooden fermenters, without the addition of cultivated yeasts, and the wines stay on the skins for up to 40 days before being pressed.
The Waterkloof Circle of Life Red 2008 is a classic wine with notes of cassis and cedar. The seamless, elegant palate is encased by fine tannins and the wine will only increase in complexity with age.
Engelbrecht describes it as a "wine that does not decline in your glass, but one that continually grabs your attention". Try the wine with pan-seared kudu fillet with a crust of finely chopped rosemary and thyme or with a Provençal lamb casserole.
Waterkloof Circle of Life Red 2008 retails from R180 per bottle and is available directly from the cellar or at selected fine wine outlets countrywide.
For more information or wine orders contact Waterkloof Estate on +27 (0) 21 858 1292 or go to www.waterkloofwines.co.za.
