Wine estate Boschendal proudly marked Heritage Day 2017 with the unveiling of its newHeritage Collection, two limited edition reds which the estate describes as the pinnacle of its incredible collection of premium wines. Both wines in the collection were tasted on Sunday, 24 September at the iconic Boschendal Long Table Feast on the sprawling, historic estate established over 330 years ago in the Drakenstein Valley near Franschhoek.
Boschendal’s Marketing Manager Shirley van Wyk says the release of the collection on Heritage Day is a nod from the estate both to its own history and to the history of the region.
Boschendal has been a pioneer in South African wine-making for three centuries. We are proud of our roots as one of the country’s original estates and we are honoured to have remained relevant in local and international wine circles to this day. To celebrate all that is Boschendal and all that is premium South African wine-making, we have released some of our most exceptional wines in our journey to date
The collection by Boschendal’s resident red winemaker Richard Duckitt, comprises a limited edition Boschendal Grande Syrah 2014 and Black Angus 2014.
For Duckitt, the collection is the culmination of years of hard work and testimony to the estate’s ongoing commitment to Shiraz
Shiraz is often under-appreciated. It’s an exceptional varietal that offers rich possibilities for experimentation andsubtle layers of complexity. It’s also a special part of our history and something we hope to continue making for generations to come.
Heritage Collection: The Grande Syrah 2014
The Grande Syrah is all about style. Often called the work horse red variety in the Boschendal range, the Grande Syrah elevates the varietal to another level. With premium grapes handpicked from a unique vineyard situated on the south-facing slopes of the Helderberg Mountains, the wine was made with specially-selected Rhône-style yeast, and aged for 15 months. Each bottle of The Grande Syrah 2014 is individually numbered, with only 10 barrels of the wine produced in total.
Its brilliant dark crimson colour with enticing spice and exotic fruit notes ignite the senses from the outset. Delicious oak spice and a typical cool-climate Syrah pepper persist onto the palate, which is young and lively, combining juicy Shiraz purity of fruit with restrained Old World elegance. A seamless integration of oak spice and oak tannin adds depth and complexity to the wine, rounding off a truly impressive drinking experience.
Heritage Collection: Black Angus 2014
While the superlative Syrah emanates sophistication, the Black Angus 2014 epitomises the estate’s history. As well as its wines, Boschendal is also famed for its ethically reared Angus cattle. The Black Angus is named in homage to the cattle, and has a 66% Shiraz base, rounded off by Petit Verdot (12%), Cabernet Sauvignon (11%) and Cabernet Franc (11%). This is the original ‘estate blend’ of Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon that Boschendal launched in the 1980s under the Grand Reserve label.
Duckitt added more complexity and intricacy to the blendwith the addition of Petit Verdot for richness and the Cabernet Franc for style and sophistication (neither of which were available on the estate in the 1980s). This has add a rounded complexity to the wine. All four varieties were separately vinified, malolactic fermented and barrel matured for 18 months, before being blended and bottled in the new Boschendal Heritage Bottle in July 2016.
The wine, with each bottle also individually numbered, mesmerizes with a beautiful ruby colour, and first impression of berry and plum aromas layered with winter spice and roast cacao bean complexity. The entry is smooth and rich leading to sumptuous ripe mulberry, black cherry and cassis flavours etched with black pepper and oak spice on the palate. The finish is long and moreish, with tremendous texture and lingering fruit concentration. It is a taste immersion worth savouring, and returning to.
