Country: South Africa  Region: Coastal Region  Vintage: 2014   Category: Red Wine  Color: Red Producer: Spice Route "Charles Back was a pioneer in the Swartland when he started Spice Route in 1998. “Without [Charles]…the Swartland would still be regarded as a rural backwater” wrote Tim Atkin. Today, the region is the source of many of South Africa’s outstanding wines, yet Spice Route remains one of the best and most credible producers in the region, due largely to the fact that they own their own vineyards. Spice Route’s 100 hectares of vineyards are situated in Malmesbury and Darling. The former, all bush trained on Malmesbury shale and red clay subsoils (the clay ensures the vineyards are dry grown), give the Grenache and Mourvèdre the intensity of fruit that makes this region so exciting. Winemaker Charl du Plessis has been with Charles for 15 years, and knows the region intricately. The winemaking is ‘hands off’, as Charl is keen to capture the flavours and structure of the outstanding fruit he has grown. The signature wine is the Chakalaka, a blend of six different grape varieties. The name is derived from a spicy South African relish which is similarly a fusion of different flavours. A blend of Mourvèdre, Syrah, Grenache, Carignan, Petite Sirah and Tannat, it has good intensity, a Rhône-ish depth and supple tannins. As single varietals, the Grenache is juicy and savoury with smooth tannins, while the Mourvèdre is darker in flavour with greater density and chunkier tannins. We have also taken the Amos Block Sauvignon Blanc, made from a vineyard planted in 1965. “I tasted the wine made from these grapes at the Swartland co-operative many years ago. I liked it so much I went to visit the farm and ended up buying it!” said Charles. The bush-trained vines are hand picked and fermented in stainless steel. The intense aromas of guava and passion fruit are given extra depth by the age of the vines and the heat of the Swartland. Finally, the superbly complex Chenin Blanc comes from a dry farmed vineyard that was planted in 1978. The ‘Terra de Bron’ Carignan comes from a single, dry-farmed vineyard which enjoys a cool maritime breeze which lengthens the growing season, resulting in more refined aromatics in the wine. It was matured for 19 months in French barrels. The ‘Malabar’ is one of Spice Route’s flagship wines and is only made in the best vintages. It is a blend of hand-sorted Syrah, Mourvèdre, Carignan and Petite Syrah grapes. The wine is aged for a total of 22 months in barrel and matured in bottle for an additional two years. It is a truly elegant wine with the potential to age another decade. Winemaker Charl du Plessis has been with Charles for 15 years, and knows the region intricately. The winemaking is ‘hands off’, as Charl is keen to capture the flavours and structure of the outstanding fruit he has grown. The signature wine is the Chakalaka, a blend of six different grape varieties. The name is derived from a spicy South African relish which is similarly a fusion of different flavours. A blend of Mourvèdre, Syrah, Grenache, Carignan, Petite Sirah and Tannat, it has good intensity, a Rhône-ish depth and supple tannins. As single varietals, the Grenache is juicy and savoury with smooth tannins, while the Mourvèdre is darker in flavour with greater density and chunkier tannins. We have also taken the Amos Block Sauvignon Blanc, made from a vineyard planted in 1965. “I tasted the wine made from these grapes at the Swartland co-operative many years ago. I liked it so much I went to visit the farm and ended up buying it!” said Charles. The bush trained vines are hand picked and fermented in stainless steel. The intense aromas of guava and passion fruit are given extra depth by the age of the vines and the heat of the Swartland. Finally, the superbly complex Chenin Blanc comes from a dry farmed vineyard that was planted in 1978. The 2014 vintage is a blend of two parcels, one picked earlier to give freshness to the wine, and the other picked later, with a little botrytis adding an extra dimension of richness and texture. The later-picked Chenin Blanc grapes were fermented and matured in French oak for 10 months to add further complexity. New to the list, the ‘Terra de Bron’ Carignan comes from a single, dry-farmed vineyard which enjoys a cool maritime breeze which lengthens the growing season, resulting in more refined aromatics in the wine. It was matured for 19 months in French barrels. The ‘Malabar’ is one of Spice Route’s flagship wines and is only made in the best vintages. It is a blend of hand-sorted Syrah, Mourvedre, Carignan and Petite Syrah grapes. The wine is aged for a total of 22 months in barrel and matured in bottle for an additional two years. It is a truly elegant wine with the potential to age another decade." Product Features: Sustainable;Vegan;Vegetarian Product Allergens: Sulphites Label Winemaker: Charl du Plessis Vineyards: Mourvèdre is proving to produce some of the most exciting wines in the Swartland. The grapes were harvested from unirrigated bushvines, which were originally planted in 2001 on deep Koffieklip and Oakleaf soils. The average yield was four tons per hectare. Vinification: Grapes were hand harvested, destalked and lightly crushed into open concrete fermenters. Manual punch downs were done three times a day during fermentation. Fermentation lasted seven days, after which the wine was pressed off the skins and transferred to old French barrels for malolactic fermentation and 12 months of maturation. Tasting Notes: Black cherry infused with cardamom and nutmeg on the nose. Intense fruit shows well on the palate, with elegant iron-like tones adding to the savoury character of the wine. Medium bodied with elegant oak from the old French barrels. Closure: Natural Cork  ABV: 14.5%  Acidity [g/l]: 5