Stellenzicht Rhapsody, Stellenbosch

Stellenzicht Rhapsody is a rather unusual Syrah / Pinotage blend from this superb estate, who make some great red wines (check out the Plum Pudding Hill Syrah).

The Stellenzicht Estate is flanked by the Helderberg and Stellenbosch Mountain. Between Stellenbosch and the False Bay coast, lies an exceptional tract of land that benefits from terroirs eminently suited to the cultivation of the highest quality wine grapes. This jewel in the crown of the magnificent Stellenbosch wine-growing region is known as the Golden Triangle. At its core lies Stellenzicht.

The origins of Stellenzicht can be traced back to 1692  when it was part of a larger property granted to its first owner Barendt Hendrikse. The farm was bought by international banker and financier Hans-Joachim Schreiber in 1981. In 1999 he entered into a joint joint venture with Distillers Corporation which today forms part of Distell with whom he remains in partnership to to this day. The same partnership, called Lusan, also owns four other wine estates – Le Bonheur, Uitkyk, Alto and Neethlingshof.

Winemaker Guy Webber has combined his expertise with Shiraz and his love of Pinotage to produce Stellenzicht Rhapsody, which melds the outstanding characteristics of both these varietals to create a new wine that is greater than the sum of its parts. The Stellenzicht Rhapsody 2007 is a blend of 55% Syrah and 45% Pinotage. The grapes are sourced from vineyards located at 150 m to 300 m on west- and north-west facing slopes in soils of decomposed granite and Table Mountain sandstone. The vines have an average age of 12 to 18 years.

The grapes for Stellenzicht Rhapsody are harvested by hand. Each variety is vinified separately. The grapes are destalked, crushed and then fermented in stainless steel. After 5 days the juice was racked off and the wine undergoes malolactic fermentation in oak barrels. Finally the wine is aged for 22 months in a combination of French (67%), American (11%) and Hungarian (22%) 300-litre barrels.