Putting terroir to the taste test
[caption id="attachment_227293" align="aligncenter" width="630"] Gabrielskloof winemaker Peter-Allan Finlayson[/caption]
Terroir. Pronounced “tare-WAHr”. It’s one of the most enigmatic and misunderstood, but essential, concepts in wine; encompassing soil, climate, and terrain aspects like altitude and the angle of the vineyard slope, and their influence on what lands up in your glass.
The soil in which the grapevine grows is one of the biggest influences on the final product, but can you really taste the difference?
The recent addition of two Syrahs to the Gabriëlskloof Landscape Series provided a great opportunity to put terroir to the taste test – sampling two wines of the same vintage (2015) and cultivar, from the same property and same winemaker, the key difference being that one is grown on sandstone and the other on shale.
The Landscape Series is the premier range from the Bot River winery, in which winemaker Peter-Allan Finlayson aims to provide “the most authentic portrayal of the vineyards”.
“Gabriëlskloof is blessed with a diversity of terroirs that shape the complexity of character in our wines. Our sandstone vineyards produce a syrah that is elegant and perfumed, while the heavier shale soils offer fruit concentration and depth,” says Finlayson.
The result is a really interesting contrast between elegance and power.
The Syrah on Shale 2015 is all about power – it’s all tightly coiled intensity, with a fresh minerally nose of white pepper and cloves opening into intensely concentrated dark berries with leatheriness and black pepper, and a powerful, lingering finish.
The way it opens up in the glass to slowly reveal more, suggests some ageing will bring out its full potential.
The Syrah on Sandstone, on the other hand, is pure elegance – a fragrant, slightly floral nose, silky texture and subtle flavours with savouriness and clean, pure fruits. The mouthfeel is softly lingering, while the tannin structure and acidity suggest it will also age well, although into something quite different from its shale counterpart.
Gabriëlsklsoof has also recently released the 2017 vintages of the rosé and sauvignon blanc in its white label estate range.
The delicately pink Rosebud is deceptive. Pretty and delicate, it blends the spice of syrah with the florals and perfume of viognier to create a whole greater than the sum of its parts – and a pink wine of substance.
Like many wine folk, Gabriëlsklsoof marketing head Grant Baxter is raving about the “sensational” 2017 vintage for their sauvignon blanc, and it really is a stunner.
Aromatic, opening with summery white florals, it’s got chalky minerality on the palate backing up a basket of fresh green fruit like limes and kiwi. The wine is crisp and fresh, beautifully balanced, the minerality gripping the palate and rounding off a lasting citrusy finish.
Some of the wines in the Gabriëlskloof Landscape Series and estate range can be found at For the Love of Wine, Preston’s in Walmer and SPAR Tops in St Francis.
