Wednesday’s WoW – Durbanville Hills Shiraz 2008

Great Value  

Durbanville Hills 2008 Shiraz is a great value wine, priced at only $11.95 at the LCBO.  The wine is made in the Durbanville Ward of the Tygerberg District in South Africa, located a mere 15 km from the Atlantic Ocean, and just a 20 minute drive from Cape Town.

Winemaking

The grapes were hand-harvested from low-yielding, well-established vineyards in the last half of March.  Fermentation took place after a 24 hour cold soak, and then the wine was left on the skins for another week in order to soften the texture.  Malolactic fermentation took place in tank, followed by 12 months aging in 300 litre barrels (10% new, 20% second-fill, and 50% third-fill French oak) with 20% aged in stainless steel.

Tasting Notes

The wine is a deep ruby colour with aromas of smoky toast, black pepper, nutmeg, cocoa, ripe plums, black cherry, and an assortment of other black fruit – quite complex for its price.  It’s ripe and velvetty, with spicy fruit flavours on the palate.  The wine has a good length and finishes with toasty caramel.  Fruit-forward and approachable, it’s a great choice when you’re looking for an inexpensive red to pair with robust dishes, such as beef stew, grilled red meat, and game.

(This wine was received as a sample.)