South Africa’s hot red variety under the spotlight
Thursday, 7 February, 2002
Angela Lloyd
Shiraz - increasingly popular with SA producers
The popularity of Shiraz among South African producers was evident at the over-subscribed workshop and international tasting held at La Motte last month. This event, encouragingly attended by many young winemakers, formed part of a series designed to focus the industry on quality.
Keynote speaker was Dr Remington Norman MW, whose involvement with wine has ranged from founding La Réserve, a group of London wine shops specializing in old and rare wines, to authorship of prize winning books on both Burgundy (The Great Domaines of Burgundy) and the Rhône (Rhône Renaissance); in 1984 he added the Master of Wine title to his Oxford PhD. Today, he is regarded as among the most eminent authorities on Shiraz worldwide.
Dr Norman’s address concentrated on the philosophy and practical considerations necessary for the production of great Shiraz but he opened with positive news. `Shiraz has shown it is capable of excellence in South Africa,’ he confirmed. ‘Both a change in perception and the introduction of good plant material has seen noticeable improvement in the variety here.’
He said that Shiraz performs best at marginal limits of ripening; yield (ideally 4 to 5 tons per hectare) and harvesting are critical features in the production of top quality fruit. In the cellar he advocated experimentation, especially with blending, with the reminder that `Art makes wine, science backs it up’.
He described Shiraz as a variety, like Pinot Noir, both mysterious and elusive and emphasized the importance of a winemaker knowing great wine in order to be able to make it. In this regard, he urged against the temptation to follow fashion - `Parkerised’ over-extracted and over-oaked wines - in favour of creating individual, site specific wines that will stand the test of time. `I can’t stress enough that new wood is very rarely part of great Shiraz; the grape has a good natural structure and doesn’t need smothering with new oak - save yourselves some money!’
Favourite among the Australian wines tasted was the elegant Cape Mentelle 1998; Dr Norman suggested the more extracted, visibly American oaked Yalumba Octavius 1997 was a fashion style now declining in popularity. Penfolds Kalmina 1998 struck a more commercial note. Of the French wines, both Alain Graillot La Guiraude Crozes Hermitage 1999 and Guigal Côte Rôtie 1997 were appreciated for their individuality and merely supportive oak but the Jaboulet Thalabert Crozes Hermitage 1997 was having an off day.
Among the local contingent, the individual Boekenhoutskloof 1999, elegant Saxenburg PC 1999 and rich and fine Spice Route Flagship 2000 received general approval, both for their high quality and differing styles; La Motte 1999 and Spice Route regular 2000 were also liked. The trio stirring most controversy were the older style Allesverloren 1999, full-throttle Gilga 2000 and alcohol-rich De Trafford 2000, the latter two drawing attention to the new oak debate and concern with overly high alcohol levels respectively.
Other speakers discussed Shiraz from a South African perspective (Angela Lloyd, wine writer and judge), a Veritas national wine show viewpoint (Sue van Wyk CWM), while Nico Spreeth (KWV) presented an update on clones currently available and new ones under trial.
The day ended with a committee being elected to ensure the interest this workshop generated in the future of South African Shiraz doesn’t lose impetus.