Grapes for the Luddite Shiraz 2018 were sourced from Luddite vineyard sites: Young Block - picked on 15 February 2018 and Old Block - picked on 21 February 2018.The 2018 vintage was a continuation of the ongoing drought that has been hitting the Western Cape since 2015. These hot, dry conditions resulted in smaller berries which in turn made the crop substantially smaller. Even with these hot conditions, natural acidity levels remained stable which balanced the fruit intensity. The young and the old block gapes were picked 6 days apart and fermented separately. They remained separate during fermentation and maturation, only coming together in the final blend one month before bottling. Continuing to experiment with adding stalks to the fermentation, up to 40% in some of the open fermenters. Tank portions were picking up tannin very easily and were therefore pressed earlier than normal, allowing the wine to settle and finish malolactic fermentation in tank before racking to barrel. Of the total barrel selection, 20% new oak down to 6th-fill with mostly French oak being used. After 2 years in barrel, the final barrel selection was made before bottling. Bottled at 14.5%. (Bottle size 750ml)

Nose: Dark brooding feel, cinnamon, touch of cigar box with violets and mace on the finish.

Palate: Bold juicy fruit on entry with fresh tannin grip on mid-palate. Hints of aniseed followed by dry spices to balance the fruit.

Finish: The finish is long and dry and certainly needs a lot more time.

#LUDDITE #REDWINE