2016 Kloovenburg Eight Feet Red

Kloovenburg Estate is located in the Riebeek Valley in the Swartland region. The foothills of the Riebeekberg, with their schist soils, form the ideal substrate for growing the best quality grapes. There were vines here as early as the mid-18th century, but it was only with the Du Toit family that the grapes here were transformed into quality wines. The Kloovenburg now belongs to the best 5% of all wines in the world, according to the opinion of the consumers on Vivino and also Platter and Tim Atkins (the specialists on African wines) rate the wines of Kloovenburg very highly.

The Kloovenburg estate Eight Red is a blend of 66% Shiraz, 16% Grenache, 9% Mourvèdre and 9% Carignan. All grapes are hand-picked in the early morning hours and then cooled overnight in a temperature-controlled room at 5°C. A large percentage (85%) of the shiraz is then crushed and destemmed, while the remaining 15% is sold as whole bunch is fermented. Of the Grenache, Mourvedre and Carignan, 30% is fermented as a whole bunch while the rest is destemmed and crushed. This is followed by a three-day cold soak at 9°C where oxygen is avoided by a CO2 blanket. Fermentation takes place in open fermenters. All grapes ferment spontaneously and separately. Extraction is obtained by stirring the must three times a day. After fermentation is complete, the wine remains on the skins for another seven days. The Shiraz is aged in new Allier French oak barrels and the Grenache, Mourvèdre and Carignan are aged in 3rd year French oak barrels, which range from 300 L to 500 L. The wines spend a total of 18 months in the barrel before being blended and bottled .

With all the efforts that are made to turn this beautiful Swartlander into a beautiful wine, it is not surprising that Tim Atkins, for example, gives this wine 93/100 points. The wine has a nose with beautiful aromas of red and black currants, purple flowers, olives, pepper, spices and a hint of vanilla. The taste is medium to full buddid with a good elegant structure with soft and silky tannins. The fruit is perfectly balanced with the oak and the acids and all this makes the Eight Feet Red Blend a beautiful wine.