Spier 'Frans K. Smit' Stellenbosch Red Blend 2013

Spier Estate’s flagship wine comes from west and northwest-facing slopes of the Helderberg is the place where all the vines were grown, and all within a 10km radius, and produce only 6,000 bottles yearly. Decomposed granite soils retain water well, allowing for slow ripening and heightened mineral complexity. The area benefits from the cooling effect of the nearby Atlantic. The balance, and the refined elegance of this blend, with its long finish, is the result of a growing season that goes down in my books as textbook perfect. A properly wet winter, some spring rain and a dry, mild summer allowed for longer hang-time, followed by quick picking. Grapes are handpicked, De-stemming and hand-selecting all adds to a great taste, in the end. Every detail is crucial. The components were mostly fermented in small 600L roller fermenters for quite a long time on the skins, giving it time to settle and come into its own. Malolactic fermentation was done in barrel – a period of about 24 months on the lees in barrels. The difference grapes are then tasted, blended and sent back into the barrel for 4 to 5 months, before racking and bottling. This wine will show best at 10 years after harvest, and will complement rich red meat dishes like ribeye, beef roasts and smoky barbeque fillet steaks.   A royal berry red with ruby red on the rim. A discernible blackcurrant and dark fruit presence on the palate, with the barest traces of cigar box. You can almost taste the tannins in this blend. They’re firm and assertive, but also rounded, sweet, soft and very amiable   Tim Atkin: 94Pts; Wine Enthusiast: 92Pts