Description
Shiraz, Hartenberg
Shiraz, Hartenberg is the award-winning Shiraz that made Hartenberg famous. It is spicy and elegant with perfumed violet aromas.
The Winery
Established in 1692, Hartenberg Estate is one of South Africa’s oldest wineries. It also has one of the most respected winemakers in the Western Cape at its helm. Cellar master Carl Schultz, has been in residence at Hartenberg and making these wines for over 20 years now. A quiet, gentle man, Carl has a deep connection to the terroir as well as an uncompromising commitment to quality. His wines are consistently pure, elegant and terroir-driven.
Hartenberg is located at 350 meters above sea level on deep clay loam soils. It is in the Bottelary Hills of the Stellenbosch region,with its Mediterranean type climate. There are cool breezes channelled down the valley from the ocean, and poor gravelly soils are great for grape growing. As a leading member of the Biodiversity and Wine Initiative in South Africa, they have established various initiatives to protect the 170 hectares of natural wetland on the farm, ensuring the health of the vines and a sustainable future for the land.
The Hartenburg Wines
The Riesling is planted on clay-rich soils and harvested entirely by hand. With 25% of the grapes showing signs of Botrytis at harvest time, this wine boasts stone fruit aromas, honeyed petrol notes, lanolin and a vibrant acidity. The Sauvignon Blanc sees a similarly bespoke approach at harvest time, with multiple passes made through the vineyard in order to pick the grapes at optimal ripeness, and to avoid any unpleasant vegetal aromas in the final wine. The result is a fresh, grassy wine tempered with tropical fruit and delicate white flowers. Fermented `sur lie` and aged for 11 months in French oak (32% new), the Chardonnay has a wonderful vanilla, lemon/lime flavour with savoury complexity. Stepping the Chardonnay game up a notch, The Eleanor Chardonnay is a serious style made to honour the matriarch of the historically most influential family to own the estate prior to the current day. Strong and resolute in character, yet always sophisticated and poised, the influence of Eleanor Finlayson’s spirit seems evident in this wine.
Aged for 18 months in 60% new oak, the Cabernet Sauvignon is a ripe and juicy red with truffle and forest floor savoury aromas. The Cabernet Shiraz is quite simply one of the best value wines in South Africa. It is made from 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Shiraz, 16% of Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc. A rich and fruity wine with peppery notes.
The Stork Shiraz is named after Ken MacKenzie who overhauled winemaking at Hartenberg from 1986; he was nicknamed “The Stork” by his World War Two fighter pilot friends because of his long legs! Aged for 21 months in 100% new French oak barrels, The Stork is a perfect match for Shiraz-lovers – rich and decadent with silky smooth, velvety tannins and violet, cherry fruit. Finally Gravel Hill, the first single vineyard Shiraz produced in South Africa, was initially crafted exclusively for the Cape Winemaker’s Guild auction and is now the longest running wine in the history of the Guild. This is a classy terroir-driven red with liquorice spiced black fruit and smoky character.
Grower: Hartenberg Wine Estate
Matches: red meat and mature cheeses.
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