Muratie Ronnie Melck Shiraz 2009 wins gold at 2013 Syrah du Monde
Tuesday, 11 June, 2013
Muratie Wine Estate
Confirming its recognition as one of the world’s leading Syrahs
Muratie Wine Estate is proud to announce that the Ronnie Melck Shiraz 2009 won a Gold medal at the 2013 Syrah du Monde, the annual international competition that recognises the leading Syrahs in the world.
Syrah du Monde
The 2013 Syrah du Monde, the seventh qualitative confrontation of the world's best Syrah/Shiraz wines, was held during May at the Château d'Ampuis in the Northern Rhône Valley in France. During the course of three days, international experts tasted 423 Syrah/Shiraz wines from 28 countries, making this competition one of the world’s top events for Syrah/Shiraz wines and illustrating the impressive growth that this Rhône varietal has enjoyed since the 1970s. Syrah du Monde is the only international wine competition dedicated solely to this varietal. Strict quality standards and optimal tasting conditions are the norm and diversity and quality the watchwords. This year 141 medals were awarded: 31 Gold and 110 Silver.
Muratie’s Iconic Wines
At Muratie, the passion for preserving the estate’s rich heritage and the intriguing human stories woven into the fabric of its centuries old history, are captured in every nook and cranny of this family farm, where the unique old-world ambience is almost tangible. Even the wines reflect a sense of time suspended. The Melck family has honoured the estate’s fascinating history by naming all Muratie’s Iconic Wines after extraordinary characters from the farm’s colourful past, each with its own enchanting story described on the back label. And there are a myriad stories reaching as far back as the 17th century, making Muratie one of the Cape’s oldest wineries.
Muratie Ronnie Melck Shiraz 2009
Muratie’s award-winning Shiraz honours family patriarch and legendary winemaker, Ronnie Melck, an avid lover of Shiraz. The Ronnie Melck Shiraz is no stranger to awards, having been honoured previously with Gold at the Syrah du Monde and Michelangelo International Wine Awards as well as a 91-point rating in the Wine Enthusiast. The Ronnie Melck Shiraz 2009 is an intensely red wine with a violet edge. It offers rich floral and berry notes with hints of green peppercorns and gamey nuances, supported by a sweet spiciness with a vanilla, crème brûlée aftertaste. This wine was made to last 10 years, and retails nationally for approximately R100.
Ronnie Melck the Man
Ronnie Melck purchased Muratie in 1987, returning the farm to the Melck family after almost a century, and fulfilling his lifelong dream. Ronnie was a direct descendant of Martin Melck, one of the Cape’s great landowners and farmers, whose family owned Muratie between 1763 and 1897. Ronnie had first come across Muratie, and its colourful owner George Canitz, when, as a Stellenbosch University student, he had to buy wine for his ‘koshuis’ dance.
Ronnie, one of the great characters of the South African wine industry, with a legendary palate, warm personality and an instinctive flair for winemaking, initiated the redevelopment of Muratie, including a vineyard replanting programme which has taken the farm to what it is today. Muratie’s wines, in the words of the late Ronnie Melck, are “humble, honest and full of integrity, with quality being the only answer”. Ronnie left the Muratie legacy in trust to his family and the farm is now managed full-time by his son, Rijk, who is aided by his brother, Anton, his sister Charla, and their mother Annatjie.
A Visit to Muratie
A visit to Muratie today, still guarded over by ancient oak trees, reveals a piece of history where time has largely stood still: a unique and magical environment where you can still enjoy good wine, honest farm food and great hospitality.
The many and varied attractions at Muratie include:
· Wine tasting daily between 10am and 5pm in the rickety, cob-webbed, old-world tasting room
· A new winter menu at the Farm Kitchen restaurant
· Tours by appointment
· Art gallery
· The Melck family’s home-made preserves and jams
· Regular music concerts and art exhibitions
Tel: 021 865 2330 · Email: info@muratie.co.za · Website: www.muratie.co.za