The wine portrays a bright purple colour with a deep violet rim. Peppery spices, cassis and fruit cake merges well with Karoo shrub notes and scented violet notes on the nose. The palate expresses red fruit, soft fused tannins and a savoury, luscious finish.
Technical Tasting Sheets:
The De Grendel Shiraz is a great partner with Karoo lamb, a scrumptious homemade beef burger with grilled cheddar topping or mushroom risotto.
The season presented a cold winter with good rainfall that ensured a terrific growing and ripening period during spring and summer. Due to a few small heat spikes and rain showers in January, the vines were exposed to stop-and-start conditions. This complicated determining the accurate stage of ripeness which required viticultural expertise, experience and patience. The 2020 crop size was average.
The fruit was carefully handpicked in three batches, with the first batch ripening in Paarl. It was fermented for two weeks in closed conical shape tanks using the more delicate aerated pump-over method, ensuring softer tannins, delicate spicy flavours and a deep colour. The second and third batches from Firgrove were separately fermented using the pneumatic punch-down method four times a day to produce more robust tannins with excellent structure and concentration. The three batches were then blended and allowed to undergo natural malolactic fermentation in stainless steel tanks before being racked three times and transferred into Oak barrels. Barrel maturation took place over a period of 13 months in 10% new American Oak, 10% in new French Oak and 80% in second and third fill French Oak barrels.
2020
- James Suckling 2023 90 Points
- Platter's Guide 2023 4 ½ Stars (94 Points)
2019
- Platter's Guide 2022 4 ½ Stars (94 Points)
- Winemag Shiraz Report 2021 91 Points
2018
- Michelangelo International Wine Awards 2020 Platinum
- Platter's Guide 2021 4 ½ Stars (93 Points)
2017
- IWSC 2019 Gold (97 Points)
- Michelangelo International Wine Awards 2019 Gold
- Shiraz SA Wine Challenge 2019 Top 20 Finalist
- Veritas Awards 2019 Gold
- Winemag Shiraz Report 2019 92 Points
2016
- China Wine & Spirits Awards 2018 Gold
- IWSC 2018 Gold
- Mundus Vini Germany 2018 Gold
- Shiraz SA Wine Challenge 2020 Top 20 Finalist
- South African Wine Index 2018 Platinum
- Veritas Awards 2017 Gold
- Vitis Vinifera Awards 2017 Gold
2015
- China Wine & Spirits Awards 2017 Gold
- Mundus Vini Germany 2017 Gold
- Veritas Awards 2016 Double Gold
- Michelangelo International Wine Awards 2016 Platinum
- Vitis Vinifera Awards 2016 Trophy
2014
- Veritas Awards 2016 Gold
- Sakura Japan Women's Wine Awards 2016 Gold
- Vitis Vinifera Awards 2015 Double Gold
2013
- Veritas Awards 2015 Gold
- Michelangelo International Wine Awards 2014 Gold
- Vitis Vinifera Awards 2014 Gold
- Sakura Japan Women's Wine Awards 2015 Gold
2012
- Platter’s 4½ Stars
2011
- Hong Kong International Wine & Spirits Comp 2013 Gold - Best South African Wine
- Platter’s 4½ Stars
- Michelangelo Int'l Wine Awards 2013 Double Gold
- Veritas 2013 Double Gold
- Vitis Vinifera Awards 2013 Double Gold
2010
- Five Nations Wine Challenge 2012 Double Gold (2nd Place)
- Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show 2012 International Judge's Choice Award
- Platter’s 4½ Stars
2009
- Platter’s 4 Stars
2008
- Platter’s 4 Stars
- Veritas 2011 Gold
2007
- Platter’s 4 Stars
- Veritas 2010 Double Gold
2006
- Platter’s 4 Stars
- Michelangelo Int’l Wine Awards Gold
- Veritas Double Gold
2005
- Michelangelo International Wine Awards Gold
2004
- South African Airways First Class