The Giant Tortoise and The Clever Monkey Syrah

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

The Storyteller Collection is inspired by the tapestry of Indian Ocean island tales and legends. They are fables and reflections that are whimsical and playful, but at the same time teach us the timeless lessons and deep truths that lie at the heart of everything. Savour four distinctively African stories brought to life for you, rooted in the ancient soils of the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley and crafted by those who believe that every wine should have its own story to tell.

These Walker Bay vineyards of Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge are situated within close proximity to the Atlantic Ocean. The maritime climate being more "temperate" in style, where parallel mountain ranges channel the southerly sea breezes through the appellation during the summer. These winds in turn bring regular sea mists and overcast conditions to the valley and with it more even temperatures. The average temperature is 19°C and rainfall, approximately, 750mm per year. Two blocks of Shiraz were harvested separately by hand enjoying cool early morning temperatures. The grapes were harvested in two different batches throughout March. This was carried out in order to achieve a more complex wine profile. One block was managed with more dappled light in the canopy to ensure spicy aromas and a savoury element and the other block with greater exposure to sunlight for primary fruit weight and intensity.

After overnight cold storage grapes were destemmed into red ferment tanks (20% remained as whole cluster). Cold maceration occurred for 3-7 days. The wine was then fermented under controlled temperatures until dry. The skins were then lightly pressed, and the wine racked into a selection of French Oak barriques for 12 months ageing and maturation. Final blending occurred 2 months prior to bottling and the wine was allowed to develop further in bottle prior to release.