By Thelema Mountain Vineyards
Thelema Shiraz 2016

Tasting Notes
Aromatic and inviting, this flavourful Shiraz shows ripe black fruit, cassis, and lovely spice on the palate.

Service
Maturation: Will continue to develop for seven years from vintage
Food Pairing: Grilled meats, meaty casseroles, and mature cheeses

Viticultural Practices
Variety: Shiraz, clone SH99/SH9C/SH1A
Rootstock: 101 - 14, R110
Soil Type: Hutton - decomposed granite
Vine Age: Planted 2000 and 2001
Plant Density: 2,300-3,200 vines per hectare
Trellising: VSP and Guyot
Pruning: 2-bud spurs every 12cm and cane pruning
Yield: Approximately 9.50 t/ha
Irrigation: Supplementary drip

Vintage and Harvest
Vintage: A cool start to the season but warmed up during the peak harvesting period. Very little rain during harvest, resulting in good, healthy fruit.
Picking Date: 24th February 2016
Grape Sugar: 24.40 degrees B
pH at Harvest: 3.65

Winemaking Practices
Yeasts: Enoferm Syrah/NT2020/WE372
Fermentation Temperature: 27 degrees C
Method: De-stalked, crushed, pumped into stainless steel tanks, pumped over for six days, left for two days before pressing, racked to barrel for malolactic fermentation.
Wood Maturation: 18 months in barrel

Wine Details
Residual Sugar: 1.80 g/l
pH: 3.48
Total Acid: 5.60 g/l
Alcohol: 14.00%
Maturation: 2020-2027
[Information provided by V and N Cellars]

Thelema Shiraz 2016
Rating: 90
Region: Stellenbosch
Alcohol: 14.00%
Drinking Window: 2021-26 
The Stellenbosch counterpoint to the cooler climate Sutherland Syrah, this mostly comes from vineyards on the Simonsberg. Dense, taut and savoury, with 10% whole bunches providing some freshness and spice and glossy [...] new oak. 

Thelema Mountain Vineyards, Thelema Shiraz 2016 Stellenbosch
Producer: Thelema Mountain Vineyards
Cuvee: Thelema
Grape variety: Shiraz
Appellation: Stellenbosch
Region: Stellenbosch
Country: South Africa
Colour: Red
Alcohol: 14.00%
Score: 16.5/20
When to drink: 2020 – 2026
Published on: 8 Oct 2020
Date tasted: 26 Sep 2020
Reviewer: Jancis Robinson
Vines (clones SH99/SH9C/SH1A) planted 2000 and 2001 on Hutton decomposed granite. Picked 24 February. Yield 9.5 t/ha. Destalked, crushed, pumped into tank, pumped over for six days, left for two days before pressing, racked to barrel for malo. Aged 18 months in French oak barrel, 30% new. Bone dry. TA 5.6 g/l.
Mid crimson. Some light Syrah element on the nose. This is so far from the sweet, alcoholic Shiraz paradigm, I think it should be renamed Syrah. Appetising and awfully well-mannered. Dry, appetising finish. None of the light, sweet coffee elements that can be found in some other South African Syrahs. A gentle, discursive wine wending its own way … really rather admirable.