In The Cellar
VINIFICATION: A total of 5 cultivars were used in this blend. The components were fermented separately in open top fermenters, some batches undergoing wild fermentation. Post fermentation maceration lasted for 1 month before pressing and transferring to older oak French barrels. The components were aged for 30 months in barrel before blending and bottling.
In The Vineyard
Always Merlot driven, due to the plantings on the farm and how the grapes are delivered to the winery, merlot is the backbone of the gentle giant. Each year is a different blend, usually consisting of Bordeaux varieties, Petit Verdot, cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, but can have smatterings of the Rhone with dollops of Syrah/Shiraz, and even in years past, influences of the Madiran, with Tannat. We feel the reason behind making the gentle giant, is to make an easy drinking wine, full of flavour and power from the noble varieties, yet priced acceptably and can be enjoyed in a number of different occasions and with diverse foods and company. HARVESTING: 2017 was an extremely dry growing season, resulting in a small crop. But we were enthusiastic about quality, noting that the wines are rich and concentrated due to the smaller berries, while on the more elegant side stylistically, thanks to even and moderate temperatures throughout the season
"I have always loved the healthy competitive antagonism South Africa’s greatest Shiraz-based blends have caused in Australia. Ever since the 1998 Diners Club Cape Blend Category trophy was won by a Stellenbosch Shiraz / Cabernet blend, the wine world of the Cape has never quite spun on the same smooth axis. This beautiful 2017 red blend is an enchanting selection of Shiraz, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot from some of the Franschhoek Ward’s finest vineyards. Made in an uncomplicated fruit-forward style, this delicious red is generous, accessible and eminently attractive revealing a complex nose of stewed raspberries, burnt wood embers, sweet sandalwood and a meaty, savoury bramble berry fruit core. The palate shows the true 2017 characteristic weightless intensity with a medium bodied depth of stewed strawberry compote, blue berries, red cherries and a gentle, silky feel on the plush finish. But it must be the delicious high-toned notes of cherry kirsch liquor and crème de cassis that make this wine such a delectable riveting offering. Drink this red over two days and experience the wine’s true inner enchantment. " - Greg Sherwood MW.
