Villain Vines Carignan
There’s always a villain: like the one who mixed Carignan stokkies in with Shiraz vines for the Swartland vineyard when planted in the 1970’s... Isolated in a corner, the Carignan was left alone, unloved – until now – this villain delivers a great fruit expression of terroir and a true reflection on the excellence and suitability of the Swartland for her villain vines.
Grapes are picked between 24-25 balling. 32% of it is whole bunch fermented and the rest crushed into open tank for 8 days skin contact with manual punch downs. Soft basket pressing allows gentle extraction of dense dark flavors before 12 months barrel maturation in larger 500l French oak barrels. Minimal intervention allows for a true expression of the grape.
The wine shows a dense dark core of crushed blueberry and spice on the nose. These flavours carry forward to a velvety palate filled with black cherry and soft cedar undertones.
Food pairing: Carignan is often used for blending but this single variety can stand its ground against oven roasted rack of lamb or seared tuna with a peppercorn crust.
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2019 - Tim Atkin WM 92 Points
2020 - Platters Wine Guide 94 Points (4.5 Stars)