This is a predominantly Round & Fleshy wine, but it shares structural nuances of Tone & Backbone as described in the tasting note below.
Tasting Notes
A medium plus bodied, well balanced, Round and Fleshy and Tone and Backbone wine with complex flavors and aromas of red berries, tobacco, leather, black pepper, and touches of violets, mineral, and cedar.
Body is the impression of a wines weight, density, or its ‘mouth-feel’. Some wines feel weighty, or full bodied, while others feel light bodied. Wine runs the gamut from light to full, with most falling somewhere in between.
TANNIN
Low
Subtle
Balanced
Pronounced
High
Tannin can range greatly in wine, but it is necessary to some degree, and a necessary constituent for red wines to age well. In high amounts, it can cause a drying affect, which is sensed mostly on the gums and tongue. Tannin is a natural preservative extracted from grape skins, otherwise known as polyphenols that are micronutrients and antioxidants with potential health benefits.
ACIDITY
Soft
Subtle
Balanced
Pronounced
High
Acidity is a foundational component in wine. In fact, low acidity, or ‘flabby’ wine (as the term suggests) is a negative. You can sense acidity mainly on the sides of your tongue. Acidity generally ranges from balanced to high. Crisp acidity adds freshness, making your mouth water. Acidity is a necessary element and helps to balance other components.
SWEETNESS
Dry
Off Dry
Medium Dry
Medium Sweet
Very Sweet
Most wines are characterized as dry to off-dry, but there are some grape varietals, like Riesling, that run the gamut from dry to sweet. The tip of the tongue mainly detects sweetness, which is why it is often the primary characteristic detected. Sweetness is derived from residual sugar that did not ferment into alcohol.
ALCOHOL
14%
Alcohol is the by-product of fermentation. Differing grape varieties have differing potential alcohol levels, but regardless warmer areas result in riper grapes resulting in higher alcohol. Alcohol level is an objective number, but its affect on its palate impression is largely determined with how well integrated and balanced it is with other components.
You get so much wine for the money it's crazy - Aaron Fusco, VP of Operations
GRAPE VARIETAL(S)
Shiraz
100%Shee-RAS
Syrah is widely planted throughout the world, but that was not so until the late twentieth century when Syrah was principally grown in the Rhone Valley and, as Shiraz, in Australia. Stylistically, the Palate Character of Syrah can vary depending on ripeness from a rich Round & Fleshy, Tone & Backbone, to a Powerful & Extracted. The flavors and aromas can also vary with a dark, sometimes sweet, fruit character, varying amount of spice, floral, and earth, and smoke, and meaty aromas and flavors.
The Finlayson family has a long history in the Western Cape region of South Africa. Three generations of Finlaysons have played a formative role in steering the Cape wine industry in the direction of the international wine world. Currently, David Finlayson is at the helm.
David has worked in Australia (Peter Lehmann Wines), New Zealand (Te Mata), and then in France at the world renowned Château Margaux. In 1996 David took control of winemaking at Glen Carlou, winning several awards before venturing out on his own, accompanied by his son Walter, with Edgebaston.
The property’s shale soils, unique to this particular part of Stellenbosch, have proven themselves to foster wines with excellent structure, classic style, and minerality.