Roelf du Preez, August 2003
The Ruins Syrah/Cabernet Sauvignon - Robertson, South Africa
MADE WITH ORGANIC GRAPES
| This medium-full bodied wine shows great
complexity from its two noble varietal components: The Syrah dominates
on the nose with loads of elegant white and black pepper spice and red
berry fruits. The Cabernet’s structure and length ensures a wine with
backbone and enough substance to age for 2-3 years. This elegant yet
structured wine will be a great companion to spicy red meat dishes and
casseroles.
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| "Picture a clay house flanked by
stone graves, since eroded by the passage of time. It was not
always like this. My great-great grandfather first saw our valley
as a tract of virgin land and chose to make a home in this wilderness.
Year after year he planted small parcels of vines and eventually built a
primitive cellar. Today his legacy and pioneering spirit lives on
within these ruins. Some of the oldest Pinotage vineyards in the
Cape, are farmed according to recognised organic methods. (The old
timer would have approved.) Lucerne is often planted as a natural
competing cover crop, encouraging the vines to delve deep into the earth
in search of much needed moisture, ensuring low yields and potential for
complexity. Lucerne is also a favourite of our indigenous wildlife
and is devoured in preference to cherished vines. Whilst the
clichéd image of an organic vigneron is of some crank who wears
dungarees, dons a straw hat and smokes his cover crop, it is my own
belief that we do not inherit the land of our forefathers, but rather
borrow it from our own children."
Roelf du Preez, August 2003 |
