

Creative Block 8 2017
Sometimes restraint is overrated. Led by Pinotage, this red blend oozes with heady, heavenly decadence. Featuring a whopping eight varietals, it’s like a Black Forest cake, with exuberant layers of rich fruit, chocolate, vanilla and marzipan flavours, all rounded out with hints of spice. Hedonistic? You bet!
TASTING NOTE:
A dense concentration of fruit precedes delicate spicy aromas that lead to cool vanilla notes. The palate offers Black Forest cake, red and blackberries and some sweet cherries and dried cranberry. The dense, firm tannins will benefit from decanting.
SERVE WITH:
Slow-cooked stew with root vegetables and a hint of truffle oil.
APPEARANCE:
Dark, intense colour with a youthful brightness.
ANALYSIS:
Alc: |
14.48 % vol |
TA: |
5.6 g/L |
RS: |
2.4 g/L |
pH: |
3.57 |
Johan Jordaan
ORIGIN:
Coastal region – Cape Town, Paarl, Stellenbosch
and Wellington.
SOIL AND CLIMATE CONDITIONS:
Gentle slopes of Weathered shale and decomposed granite on clay sub soil with great water retention. The vines are 7 to 40 km from the cold Atlantic Ocean and have average temperatures of 9° – 19 °C during winter and 13° – 29 °C for the summer with an average annual rainfall of ±450 mm.
VINEYARD AND WINEMAKING:
15- to 21-year-old vines planted on a vertical trellis system ensures effective foliage management that ensures a correct balance of leaves to allow for slower sugar accumulation and optimal development of fruit aromas and colour intensity.
Each varietal was harvested by hand, sorted and fermented individually to develop the true character of the grape. Separate ageing was done for 16 months in 300-litre French oak barrels (30% first fill, 40% second fill and 30% in third fill). After blending, the spent 2 more months to integrate before bottling.