Spier Creative Block 3 On South Africa's Sommeliers' Ultimate Wine List
The Spier Creative Block 3 2013 has been selected for the 2016 Sommeliers Selection Wine List.
Established in 2014, The Sommeliers Selection is the first South African wine competition judged solely by the country's top Sommeliers.
Wines are judged blind, by two panels consisting of three professionally trained sommeliers and one associate each. They assess them not in context of grape variety, but rather wine style (such as 'Fresh/Juicy' and 'Elegant/Classy' for reds) and price point. In this way, they're judging the entries as they would consider wines for designing a wine list. Winning wines are awarded listings on this exclusive 'wine list' and the title of Sommelier Selection Listed Wine.
The judges of this year's competition included Neil Grant (owner of Bocca and Burrata restaurants), sommeliers Tinashe Nyamudoka of The Test Kitchen, Pearl Oliver of The Taj Hotel and Marlvin Gwese from The Cape Grace.
About The Spier Creative Block 3 2013
This Rhône-style blend consists of 79% Shiraz, 18% Mourvèdre and 3% Viognier. Its grapes were hand-picked from vineyards in Stellenbosch and Darling; and fermented and matured in 300L oak barrels for 18 months.
You'll encounter subtle violets, pomegranate and mulberry on the nose, with spicy flavours of black pepper and coriander in the mouth. The mid-palate has densely concentrated fruit and silky tannins. Enjoy it with smoked pork belly or a mildly spicy Indian-style veg curry.
The wine has a long lineage of acclaim: its 2011 vintage won an International Trophy at the Decanter World Wine Awards. The 2012 vintage obtained silver at the 2014 International Wine Challenge, the 2014 International Wine and Spirits Competition and the 2014 Concours Mondial de Bruxelle.