Elgin Vintners award winners at Top 100 SA Wines competition

Elgin Vintners is a partnership of six dedicated grape growers who, believing in the excellence of the Elgin terroir and diversity of their vineyards, combined their resources to cultivate, produce and market their range of fine quality Elgin Valley wines.

The Elgin Vintners Shiraz 2008 is a cool-climate shiraz with a vibrant, dark garnet colour. On the nose there is a rich entry of toasty spice and dark plummy fruit. The palate yields full, broad, dark fruits backed by hints of dark chocolate and spice. The overall balance between fruit sweetness, spice, well rounded tannins, combined with good barrel use, makes this a memorable wine.

Coming to the fore

The Elgin Vintners Shiraz 2008 was vinified by shiraz expert Niels Verburg. On receiving the award, he said: "It is fantastic to get this recognition for cool-climate shiraz, a fitting endorsement of elegance and class. I have no doubt we will see this style of shiraz coming more to the fore as cool-climate vines mature."

The Elgin Vintners Shiraz 2008 was made from grapes sourced exclusively from Elgin Vintners partner, Elgin Orchards, who very recently were awarded BWI Championship status. The shiraz vines were tended by Elgin Orchards viticulturist, Richard Rose, under the mentorship of Paul Wallace, one of the Elgin Vintners partners. The wine spent 14 months in barrel, 95 percent French and 5 percent American oak. Twenty-five percent of the wooding regime was new wood.

The Elgin Vintners Shiraz 2008 retails nationally at approximately R95.