Spice Route, Chakalaka 2017
Country: South Africa Region: Coastal Region Vintage: 2017
Category: Red Wine Color: Red Varietal: Syrah/Shiraz and Blends
Producer: Spice Route
"Charles Back was a pioneer in the Swartland when he started Spice Route in 1998. “Without [Charles]…the Swartland would still be regarded as a rural backwater” wrote Tim Atkin. Today, the region is the source of many of South Africa’s outstanding wines, yet Spice Route remains one of the best and most credible producers in the region, due largely to the fact that they own their own vineyards. Spice Route’s 100 hectares of vineyards are situated in Malmesbury and Darling. The former, all bush trained on Malmesbury shale and red clay subsoils (the clay ensures the vineyards are dry grown), give the Grenache and Mourvèdre the intensity of fruit that makes this region so exciting.
Winemaker Charl du Plessis has been with Charles for 15 years, and knows the region intricately. The winemaking is ‘hands off’, as Charl is keen to capture the flavours and structure of the outstanding fruit he has grown. The signature wine is the Chakalaka, a blend of six different grape varieties. The name is derived from a spicy South African relish which is similarly a fusion of different flavours. A blend of Mourvèdre, Syrah, Grenache, Carignan, Petite Sirah and Tannat, it has good intensity, a Rhône-ish depth and supple tannins.
As single varietals, the Grenache is juicy and savoury with smooth tannins, while the Mourvèdre is darker in flavour with greater density and chunkier tannins. We have also taken the Amos Block Sauvignon Blanc, made from a vineyard planted in 1965. “I tasted the wine made from these grapes at the Swartland co-operative many years ago. I liked it so much I went to visit the farm and ended up buying it!” said Charles. The bush-trained vines are hand picked and fermented in stainless steel. The intense aromas of guava and passion fruit are given extra depth by the age of the vines and the heat of the Swartland. Finally, the superbly complex Chenin Blanc comes from a dry farmed vineyard that was planted in 1978. The ‘Terra de Bron’ Carignan comes from a single, dry-farmed vineyard which enjoys a cool maritime breeze which lengthens the growing season, resulting in more refined aromatics in the wine. It was matured for 19 months in French barrels. The ‘Malabar’ is one of Spice Route’s flagship wines and is only made in the best vintages. It is a blend of hand-sorted Syrah, Mourvèdre, Carignan and Petite Syrah grapes. The wine is aged for a total of 22 months in barrel and matured in bottle for an additional two years. It is a truly elegant wine with the potential to age another decade.
Winemaker Charl du Plessis has been with Charles for 15 years, and knows the region intricately. The winemaking is ‘hands off’, as Charl is keen to capture the flavours and structure of the outstanding fruit he has grown. The signature wine is the Chakalaka, a blend of six different grape varieties. The name is derived from a spicy South African relish which is similarly a fusion of different flavours. A blend of Mourvèdre, Syrah, Grenache, Carignan, Petite Sirah and Tannat, it has good intensity, a Rhône-ish depth and supple tannins.
As single varietals, the Grenache is juicy and savoury with smooth tannins, while the Mourvèdre is darker in flavour with greater density and chunkier tannins. We have also taken the Amos Block Sauvignon Blanc, made from a vineyard planted in 1965. “I tasted the wine made from these grapes at the Swartland co-operative many years ago. I liked it so much I went to visit the farm and ended up buying it!” said Charles. The bush trained vines are hand picked and fermented in stainless steel. The intense aromas of guava and passion fruit are given extra depth by the age of the vines and the heat of the Swartland. Finally, the superbly complex Chenin Blanc comes from a dry farmed vineyard that was planted in 1978. The 2014 vintage is a blend of two parcels, one picked earlier to give freshness to the wine, and the other picked later, with a little botrytis adding an extra dimension of richness and texture. The later-picked Chenin Blanc grapes were fermented and matured in French oak for 10 months to add further complexity.
New to the list, the ‘Terra de Bron’ Carignan comes from a single, dry-farmed vineyard which enjoys a cool maritime breeze which lengthens the growing season, resulting in more refined aromatics in the wine. It was matured for 19 months in French barrels. The ‘Malabar’ is one of Spice Route’s flagship wines and is only made in the best vintages. It is a blend of hand-sorted Syrah, Mourvedre, Carignan and Petite Syrah grapes. The wine is aged for a total of 22 months in barrel and matured in bottle for an additional two years. It is a truly elegant wine with the potential to age another decade."
Product Features: Sustainable;Vegan;Vegetarian
Product Allergens: Sulphites Label
Winemaker: Charl du Plessis
Vineyards:
Chakalaka is Spice Route's signature wine. It is a blend of six different grape varieties. The vineyards are planted on Richter 99 rootstock and are mainly bushvine planted on deep iron-rich clay soils, farmed without irrigation. The varieties Mourvèdre, Syrah, Grenache, Carignan, Petite Sirah and Tannat were selected for their suitability to the Swartland growing conditions, blended to express place before grape. The name is derived from a spicy South African relish which is similarly a fusion of different flavours.
Vinification:
The fruit was hand-harvested and the grapes were destalked and lightly crushed. All fruit was fermented in open concrete fermenters. Manual punch downs were carried out during fermentation. The wines were racked and put in barrel for malolactic fermentation and further ageing. The components matured in seasoned French and American oak for 12 months before blending and further maturation of the final wine in the same old oak barrels.
Tasting Notes:
Chakalaka is deep ruby red in colour. There are aromas of clove and subtle white pepper followed by plum with elegant hints of spice. On the palate it is medium bodied with red fruit and integrated oak. The excellent balance of acidity and ripe tannins will allow this wine to age well.
Closure: Natural Cork ABV: 14.5% Acidity [g/l]: 5.6
