The Garland is Simonsig's first super premium wine and is produced from a single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon grapes situated against the slopes of Stellenbosch's Simonsberg mountain, one of the leading locations when it comes to superlative red wine, and specifically Cabernet Sauvignon. Only a limited supply of this extraordinary wine will be made available to the market annually, and the price for the 2008 vintage is R1 375 per bottle. A total of 1 500 bottles of this wine will be released.
According to Simonsig
cellarmaster Johan Malan, The Garland is the culmination of a dream that
Simonsig has long cherished to introduce a particularly luxurious wine to the
market that represents the ultimate expression of the estate's winemaking
heritage.
“It has been a long and
arduous journey to reach the point where we could finally unveil The Garland
this year,” says Johan. “But the quality of wine that Simonsig is now able to
offer the market along with our other, better known labels makes it absolutely
worthwhile. A winemaker is never entirely satisfied with his wine, but with
this one it is as close as can be.”
The Garland is made
from a unique Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard majestically situated against the steep
slopes of the Simonsberg. The vineyard is managed by Simonsig in conjunction
with the owners of the land on which it stands.
“The vineyard truly
yields some of the finest Cabernet Sauvignon grapes I have ever seen,” says
Johan. “The vines are planted in lovely red weathered granite soils, with good chunks
of granite visible between the vineyards. The site is about 400 m above sea
level and the vineyard is exposed to both the cold Atlantic Ocean from Table
Bay as well as the sea breeze from False Bay's side. These are perfect
conditions for Cabernet Sauvignon, as the many great wines made from Simonsberg
grapes have shown through the years.”
There is a family
connection between the Malans from Simonsig and the farm on which the The
Garland vineyard is located. The land belongs to the Van Niekerk family,
Johan's maternal relatives.
“As a child I regularly
visited the farm and was always fascinated by these vineyards that seem to
cling to the mountain slopes,” recalls Johan. “And when I set out on my
winemaking career, it was always my dream to one day get my hands on
exceptionally good Cabernet Sauvignon grapes from the Simonsberg and make an
iconic wine.”
In order to obtain
optimal fruit quality in the harvest, a significant amount of bunches were
removed in the early season, until only one bunch per shoot remained. The
grapes were harvested by hand and kept in chilled conditions after destemming
to allow good development of the berry flavours. Inoculation with a Bordeaux
yeast strain followed and the grapes fermented on the skins for 29 days to
extract maximum colour and flavour.
The wine was then
matured in new French oak for 26 months before bottling, after which it was
given more time to develop in the bottle.
According to Johan the wine exhibits violets and plums on the nose, with a touch of truffle and forest floor. The flavours are typically Cabernet Sauvignon, with blackberry and pencil shavings, as well as a subtle fynbos character. Immaculate wood maturation adds soft tannins with flavours of spice and vanilla rounding off the wine. Although the current vintage has already matured for seven years, it will continue to develop until it reaches its peak between the years of 2018-2022.
“It is a rare wine, and
the price is high for a South African wine,” says Johan. “But The Garland is
the ultimate expression of unique terroir and the winemaking style of Simonsig,
and it is a product we are immensely proud of. As the name suggests, this wine
is a crown that Simonsig wears to display and to honour a remarkable
achievement.”