Piekenierskloof, Old Vine Samson Straw Wine, Swartland, South Africa (37.5cl)

Producer Profile

Nestled in the Citrusdal Mountains, some 50 kilometers north of Swartland, is the magnificent Piekenierskloof plateau, which provides the perfect natural environment for vineyards to thrive.

At 750 meters above sea level, the plateau’s climate is characterised by warm days and cool nights, which allow grapes to slowly ripen and develop complex fruit flavours. Ungrafted bush vines planted in the 1950’s are still used in the production of Piekenierskloof Wine Company’s range of wines.

Viticulture

The grapes for the Piekenierskloof Straw Wine comes from a Muscat de Frontignan vineyard that was planted in 1962. These vines are all bush vine trained and grow on clay -loam soils. The vineyards are meticulously farmed and managed to yield below 2 tons per hectare. The grapes were hand harvested into small lug boxes in March.

Winemaking

After picking the grapes were laid out on drying racks on a bed of straw for two weeks. The whole bunches were then pressed very slowly to release a very concentrated juice. Only the free run juice was used, allowed to settle slightly and inoculated with selected yeast strain for a slow fermentation. The wine matured in used 500L French oak barrels for 12 months.

Oak Ageing

Time: 12 Months
Type: 500 litre French Oak
% wine oaked: 100
% new oak: None

Tasting Note

The nose is concentrated with notes of peach and dried apricot, a touch of spice and honey suckle. On the palate it is rich and full with a well balanced acidity and creamy texture that developed during barrel maturation.

Food Matching

This pairs wonderfully with desserts, especially dried figs and goats and blue cheeses.