Saronsberg Full Circle 2012

Winery: Saronsberg

Winemaker: Dewaldt Heyns

Region: Tulbagh

Background:  Celebrating 10 vintages of Saronsberg’s flagship wine, the Full Circle (a Rhone-style red blend) Dewaldt has built himself a reputation for his unique approach of winemaking, especially with Shiraz.

It was always his dream to work with this variety and especially on the Saronsberg farm where the fertile soils are perfectly suited to Shiraz.

“Because it was clear from the onset that Shiraz was one of the most constant performing cultivars in the Tulbagh valley, the opportunity to build a cellar with a Shiraz focus from scratch was truly irresistible,” says Dewaldt.

“This was a dream come true. From the onset I was determined to create a Rhône-style blend which highlights the individual grape varieties’ potential. Thus only the best components were good enough to create something extraordinary – Full Circle.”

The 2012 is made up of 76% Shiraz, 12% Grenache, 8% Mourvedre and a smidgen of Viognier.

After fermentation, the wine spent 11 months on the lees before being racked and the different components blended together. The final blend was left in 300 litre barrels for 20 months prior to bottling.

Result:. Deep velvet in colour, the wine is beautifully balanced with captivating violets, smokey plum and mineral aromas. The palate is full and rich with elegant bramble fruit which enhances the long silky finish.

When to drink: Now till 2025

Drink with what:  Almost all rich meat dishes including braised lamb shank with plum jus, which we enjoyed with Dewaldt!

Expect to pay: R325.00

To order this wine, email Wine Concepts