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Glenelly Glass Collection Syrah

£15.94

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The Glenelly Glass Collection Syrah has a wonderful bright and rich colour with deep purple undertones. The aromas are intense with jasmine, cinnamon and bacon notes coming through. The palate is well balanced and textured with soft round tannins and a pure fruit core shining through which has flavours of white pepper spice, spicy plum and dark berry.

  • Country: South Africa
  • Region: Coastal Region
  • Subregion: Stellenbosch
  • Vintage: 2016/17
  • Colour: Red
  • Grape Variety: Syrah/Shiraz
  • ABV: 14%
  • Bottle Size: 75cl
  • Closure: Screwcap
  • Style: Old world meets new world
  • Drink With: Cottage pie

The Glenelly Glass Collection was inspired by the antique glasses in May de Lencquesaing's private collection.

Rain in November and January meant that less irrigation was required, but disease pressure was higher and stricter controls were needed. The high moisture content of the soil resulted in vigorous growth and canopy management was crucial. Fortunately ideal dry and moderate conditions reigned during ripening in late January and February and there was good flowering and berry set. Harvest was one week later than normal due to a late cold winter and cool spring but the quality of the wine is exceptional.

The bunches of Syrah for the Glenelly Glass Collection were sorted and placed whole into the tanks, where the wine was allowed to slowly start fermenting naturally with two to three pump overs a day. Post fermentation they were given three weeks’ extended skin contact before being transferred into used French oak barrels for malolactic fermentation. The wine stayed in the barrels for twelve months.

From Jancis Robinson's Purple Pages:

100% whole bunch. Wonderful smoky layer over ripe but very fresh black fruit. Unusually fine, dry tannins, perhaps thanks to the whole-bunch fermentation. Moreish, dark and yet full of energy. Good Value. 16.5 Points

From Robert Parker's Wine Advocate:

The The Glass Collection Shiraz is whole bunch fermented and matured in used cask. The nose is very intense with blackberry and boysenberry mixed with sage and rosemary scents, a slight menthol note developing with time. The palate is medium bodied, reserved at first but with good structure. There is a coolness to this Shiraz, partly because the natural yeast had a low conversion rate so there is plenty of freshness here. This is a well crafted and very natural Syrah. 90 Points

About the grower

On the southern slopes of the Simonsberg Mountain, in the Ida's Valley of Stellenbosch, lies the Glenelly Estate. In 1682, Cape Governor Simon Van Der Stel ceded the land on which the Glenelly Estate now stands to a French Huguenot, François Villion. In 1812, the estate passed to Johan Peter de Villiers, and finally in 1911 it became the property of a British family, the Garlicks. They owned it for 92 years until, in 2003, Glenelly was bought by May-Eliane de Lencquesaing. For over 30 years, Madame de Lencquesaing had been the owner of the classed growth Bordeaux Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande in Pauillac. Her belief in the quality of the Cape’s terroir, her wish to play a role in the economic development of the newly democratic country and her desire to continue the three century heritage of French winemaking in South Africa all played a part in her decision to embark upon a new adventure.

The 123 hectare Glenelly Estate was formerly devoted to fruit production, but after an intensive study of the soil structure and weather patterns by Madame de Lencquesaing, 54.5 hectares were planted with red grape varieties and 5.5 hectares were given to white varieties. A small remainder was planted with olive trees and the rest remained as forest. There are 5 main red grape varieties grown at Glenelly: Cabernet Sauvignon for its structure; Syrah for the fineness of red fruit aromas and flavours; Petit Verdot to bring complex notes of liquorice and violets to a blend; Merlot giving freshness and fruity notes; and finally Cabernet Franc to pair with the Merlot, giving an almost Pomerol-style character to certain wines.

A new, gravity fed winery was completed in 2009, and everything is done in as natural and as environmentally friendly a manner as possible - even the concrete used for its construction was coloured in ochre tones to match the surrounding soils!