Pinot Noir

Beef, Veal, Game (deer, venison), Poultry

As Jean Engelbrecht gained knowledge and an understanding of Californian wine especially those from Napa he was drawn to the wines of Silver Oak Cellars their philosophy and the focused way they ran their operation. Drawing a parallel to his own family estate in South Africa Rust en Vrede he noted that both wineries focused on producing only red wine in particular concentrating on a specific wine – Cabernet Sauvignon for Silver Oak and a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz and Merlot for Rust en Vrede. Inevitably Jean met Ray Duncan proprietor of Silver Oak and a friendship was formed which included visits to both continents. The synergy that developed between the two families their mutual love for wine and the challenge to produce a wine together led to the formation of The Cirrus Wine Company. By this time Ray’s two sons David and Tim were also on board. The wine was to be produced in South Africa so the decision was made that it would be a Syrah. The vision of the partners was to start off small ensuring that the venture was laying a solid foundation for the future. The maiden vintage 2003 turned out to be a great vintage in South Africa and the resulting wine proved to be a resounding success. Cirrus is the expression of the view that wine above all else should bring people together. After eleven vintages their philosophy remains the same and they are looking forward to their future endeavor of producing a Cirrus in the USA.

Pinot Noir clones 115 and 777 are grafted onto the drought-resistant rootstock Richter 110. This rootstock is well suited to the poor, stony soils composed of 60% Glenrosa, 20% Oakleaf, and 20% Mispah. A reasonable clay content retains water in dry years. Ceres Plateau has a moderate Mediterranean climate, with the high altitude playing a dominant role in fruit development. Higher elevation growing areas see a greater shift in temperature between day and night. Cooler nights allow grapes to conserve acidity, leading to more elegant, age-worthy wines. Cool nights also help to lengthen the growing season, allowing grapes more time to develop on the vine. The density and intensity of solar rays also increase at higher elevations, which forces the fruit to develop a thicker skin, leading to greater colour concentration and stronger tannins.

Maturation takes place in seasoned 500l French oak barrels for 14 months, adding structure, complexity, and age-ability to the wine.

We take care to gently handle the grapes in the cellar to preserve the unique characteristics provided by the soil, altitude, and climate. Approximately 70% of the fruit is fermented as whole berries, with the remaining 30% fermented in whole clusters. The whole berries preserve pure fruit flavours and intensity, while the whole clusters aid in the gentle extraction of tannins. Gentle punch downs and pump-overs are performed during fermentation to extract ripe tannins and colour from the relatively thin skins of the Pinot Noir berries.