Spier Creative Block 8 2017

Spier Creative Block 8 has a dense concentration of fruit precedes with delicate spicy aromas that lead to cool vanilla notes. This red blend oozes with heavenly decadence. The palate offers flavours of Black Forest cake, with exuberant layers of red and blackberries, sweet cherries, chocolate, vanilla and marzipan flavours. This unique blend of 8 varietals is a balanced wine with a broad palate and subtle tannins. It is delightful and complex, and will benefit from decanting

It has a dark intense colour with a youthful brightness. This blend consists of 36% Pinotage, 24% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 18% Shiraz, 1% Cinsaut, 1 % Malbec, 1% Mourvèdre and 1% Petit Verdot.

The vines are grown on gentle slopes of Weathered shale and decomposed granite on clay sub soil with great water retention. It is 7 – 40km from the cold Atlantic Ocean and have average temperature of 9° - 19°C during winter and 13° - 29°C during the summer with an average annual rainfall of +/-450mm. The 15 – 21 year old vines are planted on a vertical trellis system to ensure 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.