Lady of Abundance 2020

Groot Constantia , located a few kilometers from Cape Town, is the oldest estate in South Africa. It commemorates its 336th anniversary in 2021! The vines are trained on vertical trellises and vine operations, such as pruning, canopy management and harvesting, are carried out by hand. Pest control is organic , and soil health and weed control are managed naturally.

Here is a blend of 36% Syrah, 35% Merlot, 26% Pinotage and 3% Tannat. The vines grow on various soils, ranging from red clay to loamy granitic soils, including soils of sandstone and granite origin. The grapes are picked by hand and vinified in stainless steel vats. The wine undergoes complex aging for 12 months in 500 liter French oak barrels, including 10% in new barrels, 35% in 2nd filling barrels, 35% in 3rd filling barrels and 20% in 4th filling barrels. On the palate, we feel pronounced aromas of blackberries , blackcurrant , black plum , white pepper , violet , coriander , tobacco , licorice , cocoa and cloves . It has a fine and elegant tannin structure. The acidity maintains a nice freshness and the finish ends with spices.

The first vines were planted in South Africa by Dutch settlers in the 1650s, although wine production did not really begin to take off until the arrival of French Protestants, in the 1680s, with their skills and their knowledge of viticulture. Stellenbosch is also a historic wine region, with the first vineyards being planted there in the 1690s. Today South Africa is one of the most important wine producing countries in the southern hemisphere. With over 300 years of winemaking history, it is often described as a bridge between the Old and New Worlds. The majority of wines are produced using New World winemaking techniques, but they often have more in common stylistically with their Old World counterparts. Since the end of apartheid, South African wine has received international attention and acclaim for its wide variety of styles. South Africa's wine industry is spread across the lush and rugged landscape of the Western Cape. Here, the abundance of mountains, valleys and plateaus allows winemakers to produce a wide variety of styles. Vineyards can also be found in the Orange River region of the Northern Cape, where the flat, arid landscape is dominated by the Kalahari Desert. Most of South Africa's wine regions have a Mediterranean climate, strongly influenced by the meeting of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. The country's signature grape variety is Pinotage, an indigenous cross of Pinot Noir and Cinsaut that is rarely found in quantity in other wine-producing countries. Shiraz (Syrah) is also widely planted, as are Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot (often combined in a Bordeaux blend). South African Chardonnay, Chenin and Sauvignon Blanc have become popular internationally in recent years.