2018 Spier Estate Bordeaux Blend Creative Block 5

The Spier Estate Bordeaux Blend Creative Block 5 is a blend of the typical Bordeaux grapes namely Merlot 43%, Cabernet Sauvignon 32%, Cabernet Franc 13%, Petit Verdot 6%, Malbec 6% which grows on a terroir with granite and clay from the Stellenbosch and Darling region.

The grapes come from the relatively cool slopes, which ensures a more gradual ripening, which ultimately ensures more flavor development. Leaves are partially removed to give the grapes more sunlight and this also ensures natural fertilization. The vineyards are on average about 10 km from the ocean, which ensures that the fresh wind keeps the vineyards in optimal condition in a natural way. The grapes are picked manually and immediately cooled. Fermentation took place in stainless steel tanks for a maximum of 21 days. Malolactic fermentation and maturation took place in 300L French oak barrels for 18 months of which 60% new oak and 40% 23 and 3rd year oak. The grapes are raised individually and only when everything is ready is the wine blended in order to obtain the optimal harmony, ultimate balance and taste from the five grape varieties.

In the glass, Spier Estate Bordeaux Blend Creative Block 5 is dark purple in color with beautiful cherry red shades. In the nose we smell complex aromas of dark berries, dark chocolate with intense hints of jam, sultry and seductive, coffee, smoky, and complex. The taste is wonderfully fresh, lots of juice and elegance from the malbec, a slight firmness from the cabernet franc, pepperiness and a hint of chocolate from the petit verdot. The Creative Blcok 5 is very well balanced and in terms of price.quality is incomparably good when you put this next to a much more expensive Bordeaux.