Piekenierskloof Cinsault

Piekenierskloof Cinsault

Tasting Note – Piekenierskloof Cinsault

An elegant and supple wine with good colour and concentration. Abundant red berries, ripe cherries, with a subtle hint of black spice. Well balanced with fine tannins and enticing complexity on a long finish.

Viticulture

Grapes are sourced from vineyards in the Piekenierskloof region from vineyards that were planted in 1976. These vineyards are all unirrigated bush vines and grow on sandy, loam soils. The vineyards are meticulously farmed and managed to yield below 5 tons per hectare and hand harvested the second week of March.

Winemaking

Grapes are handpicked and cold-soaked for 24 hours. Fermentation is initiated with selected yeast strains and is kept under 24°C. Malolactic fermentation is completed in tank, 50% of the wine is matured for 12 months, 2nd, 3rd and 4th fill in 500L French oak barrels and the rest in a larger foudre.

Oak Ageing

Time: 12 Months
Type: 500 litre French Oak
% wine oaked: 50
% new oak: None

Producer Profile – Piekenierskloof Cinsault

Nestled in the Citrusdal Mountains, some 50 km north of Swartland, is the magnificent Piekenierskloof plateau, the area provides the perfect environment for vine cultivation, and is home to the eponymously named Piekenierskloof Wine Company.

First settled by Dutch soldiers ‘Piekeniers’ deployed from the Cape to explore the unknown Olifants River region, the area today is famous for citrus production, but more importantly for us, this is ‘Grenache HQ’, boasting one of the largest Grenache plantings in the Cape. Piekenierskloof’s dry-land vines, grow in sandy loam soils at an altitude of 650m to 700m and have stood the test of time, consistently bearing small bunches of intense, densely structured and highly flavoured grapes, worthy of preserving. Un-grafted bush vines planted in the 1950s are still used in the production of Piekenierskloof wines, giving them immense character, intensity and authenticity. Under the watchful eye of winemaker, Hendrien Vercueil, Piekenierskloof Wines continue to produce award- winning Rhône-style wines of exceptional quality.

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Piekenierskloof Cinsault