The idea of making a “Rhône style” wine has always intrigued us. The wines of the Rhône valley have a marvellous richness and elegance about them, quite different from the wines of Bordeaux which possess their own distinct charm with their classic and refined style. We planted Syrah, Mourvèdre, Grenache, and Viognier grapes on our white quartzite gravel soils, knowing that one day we would have a wine from Strandveld that could stand alongside those great Rhône wines.
A few years ago, it became clear that we could make a wine that would capture the wonderful flavours of these four grapes ripening at different times. We added each grape type to one fermenting tank as it matured to the optimum ripeness over a two-week period. The wine was aged in 2nd and 3rd fill French oak barrels for 22 months. The results are in every bottle. To say the least, we are thrilled!
So why name the wine ‘The Navigator’?
Prince Henry “The Navigator’, who lived more than 500 years ago in Portugal, was passionate about discovering new regions of the world, especially finding a sea route to the East. If history is to be believed, he built up a collection of maps which was handed down from one brave mariner to the next, As each successive caravel sailed a bit further down the west coast of Africa, new information was added to Prince Henry’s knowledge: ultimately it was Bartholomeu Diaz who first rounded the southern tip of Africa in 1487 thereby opening that elusive route.
When we planted our Shiraz, Mouvedre, Grenache and Viognier vineyards, we also had in mind the idea of finding the soils and climate which would guide us, like the ancient map, in creating a wine which would one day justify our belief in the Strandveld terroir.
We celebrate this wine with the name: “The Navigator” and Hope you will too with the 11th vintage release included in this club selection .
Cellar Master
Conrad Vlok
ORDER YOUR CASE OF STRANDVELD ‘THE NAVIGATOR’ BEFORE 30 JUNE 2023 AND RECEIVE 20% DISCOUNT.
FOLLOW THE LINK BELOW AND USE THE COUPON ” NAVI20″ AT CHECKOUT TO RECIEVE YOUR DISCOUT
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