2020 Olifantsberg Carignan

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Description

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Olifantsberg Family Vineyards is less than an hour's drive from Cape Town, in the middle of South Africa's Breedekloof wine region. This small, five-hectare wine estate has been owned by the Dutch Leeuwerik family since 2003. The vineyards of Olifantsberg lie on the slopes of the Brandwacht Mountains. Thanks to the high altitude and the almost constantly blowing wind, there is a cool microclimate. Ideal conditions for the production of top quality grapes! The vineyard is worked with respect for nature. The vines are fertilized organically and the yield in the vineyard is deliberately kept low. All this with the aim of harvesting optimally ripe, healthy and concentrated grapes of high quality. After the manual harvest, these grapes are taken to the newly built vinification cellar. Here too, winemaker Elizma Visser lets nature do its work. After crushing the grapes, a traditional soaking of skins follows and the grapes are fermented. After this they are aged in oak barrels of which about a third is renewed every year. The wines of Olifantsberg are therefore perfectly balanced with nicely dosed oak in aroma and taste.

Carignan is well suited to the climate and thrives in the very rocky terrain of Breedekloo. The large daily temperature fluctuations ensure that the natural acidity is preserved and provide a highly concentrated fruit expression for which Carignan is known. The vineyards are located on the slopes of the Olifantsberg where they withstand large daily temperature fluctuations and strong winds. The Carignan is planted as a high-density scrub on rocky shale soils. The vineyards are farmed in a sustainable way, preserving the biodiversity in the vineyards and the soil.

In the winery, different combinations of whole bunch and whole berry fermentations are used to enhance the expression of the varietal. Two gentle pump-overs or punch-downs per day. When natural fermentation is over, it is gently pressed in barrels for malolactic fermentation. We use a combination of 300 to 500 liter barrels. After 12 months, the various barrels are blended and aged for another two months before being bottled.

The Olifantsberg Carignan delivers a complex array of flavors of dark cherry and dried cranberry, layered with savory notes of cured meat and spices. The taste has a clarity with a good fruit concentration. The 2020 vintage is the first vintage of this beautiful, somewhat Priorat-like wine from Olifantsberg. The winemaker Elizma Visser has added another great wine to the assortment with this Olifantsberg Carignan.

Specifications

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Type of Wine Red
Country South Africa
Region Breedekloof
Winery Olifantsberg
Grape Carignan
Biological certified No
Natural wine No
Vegan No
Vintage 2020
Drinking as of 2022
Drinking till 2028
Alcohol % 13
Alcohol free/low No
Content 0.75 ltr
Oak aging Yes
Sparkling No
Dessert wine No
Closure Cork
Parker rating 93
Tasting Profiles Earthy, Dark fruit, Dry, Aged on wood, Powerful, Tannines, Full
Drink moments Barbecue, Lekker luxe, Met vrienden

Wijnhuis

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Olifantsberg Family Vineyards is less than an hour's drive from Cape Town, in the heart of the Breedekloof wine region in South Africa. This small, 5 hectare winery has been in the hands of the Dutch Leeuwerik family since 2003. The Olifantsberg vineyards lie on the slopes of the Brandwacht Mountains. Thanks to the high altitude and the almost constant blowing wind, there is a cool microclimate.

Ideal conditions for the production of top quality grapes! The vineyard works with respect for nature. The vines are organically fertilized and the yield in the vineyard is deliberately kept low. All this with the aim of harvesting optimally ripe, healthy and concentrated grapes of high quality. After the manual harvest, these grapes are brought to the newly built vinification cellar. Here too, winemaker Elizma Visser lets nature do its job. After crushing the grapes, a traditional peel maceration follows and the grapes are fermented. After this they are aged in oak barrels, of which approximately one third is renewed annually. The Olifantsberg wines are therefore perfectly balanced with beautifully dosed oak in aroma and taste.


The fact that we are talking about a great winery here is evident from the fact that their wines receive very favorable reviews. The Silhouette won gold in 2015 at the most prestigious wine competition in South Africa, namely The OLD MUTUAL TROPHY WINE SHOW and won the 1st prize for Best Shiraz-based blend and received no less than 94/100 points. This is very special for a young winery such as Olifantsberg. In addition to the focus on quality, low yields and passion, it certainly plays a role that these wines receive these high ratings. In contrast to, for example, Stellenbosch, which is on the other side of the gorge, this is the Breedekloof an almost Priorat-like terroir with a lot of slate. This explains the beautiful mineral tones in the Olifantsberg wines.

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