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Stellenbosh Merlot
Wines of the 2008 vintage have shown to be more fruit oriented, with softer tannins. Therfore they adopted a gentler oaking regime for this wine and it allowed the elegant fruit flavours to come through on the palate. Anthony de Jager
Winemaker's tasting notes:
Good varietal character showing plum and mulmberries on the nose with hints of cedar. Mouthfeel is well rounded, with the fruit coming to fore.
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Shiraz
"My father and grandfather planted shiraz at Fairview as they felt that would be well suited to the terroir in Paarl. Back in those days it was not popular or widely planted in this country and thease early efforts went a long way to establishing Shiraz as an exciting variety with huge potential. Some of the early Fairview Shiraz bottlings from the 1970s are still drinking beautifully today and over the past three decades Shiraz has formed a cornerstone of our range both as a single varietal or as part of a blend. It continues to be our benchmark varietal." Charles Back
Dark, dense red in the glass. Ripe, concentrated plum on the nose, with earthy nuances and notes of violet. The oak comes through as fragrant spice aromas, complementing the fruit. The fruit. The palate is well structured with firm, slightly chalky tannins suggesting good ageing potential. The finish is a delicate balance of fruit sweetness, spiced savoury character and lingering texture.
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Mourvedre
This variety is well suited to the Paarl and Swartland terroir and has been passionately pursued by Charles Back as he firmly believes in its potential. Our Mourvedre is an elegant, medium bodied wine and shows a lovely balance of pepper spice and ripe fruit.
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Pinotage
Pinotage is an important part of the Fairview range of wines, with vineyards planted on various soil types in a number of regions. The wine is gently oaked and emphasizes the ripe fruit flavours of the variety.
Winemaker s tasting notes:
Dark chocolate and blackberries aromas with a hint of caramel. Palate shows soft tannins supported by clean acidity. Ripe fruit follows through with liquorice and cherries on the palate and a long finish.
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Cabernet Sauvignon
Fairview Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 is sourced from two of their vineyards, one in Stellenbosch and one in Darling. The careful blending of the grapes from these different terroirs results in a classically styled Cabernet Sauvignon with well rounded fruit flavours an gentle oaking.
Winemaker s tasting notes:
Deep fleshy fruit aromas that follow through on the palate. Good varietal character, in a fruit, laden style. Supple, with gentle oak character.
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Pinotage/ Viognier
The two varieties were fermented together in open fermenters, the cap being manually punched down. The blend spent 19 months in used French barrels, the subtle oaking ensures gentle tannins and showcases pinotage s opulent sweet fruit lifted by the typical perfumed character of viognier. The pinotage is from mostly mature 25 years old bush vines and the viognier from new young vines, supplied by vineyards on Fairview and in Agter Paarl and Malmesbury.
Winemaker s tasting notes:
Liquorice, dark chocolate, cinnamon and banana aromas with concentrated black cherry and plum fruit on the palate. Medium bodied with a good tannin structure. Full, fruit-laden finish.
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Barbera
As our Barbera vines have matured, the quality of the wine has improved and this now sees us introducing Barbera under the Fairview label for the first time. This variety shows great natural acidity and a good balance between fruit and gentle oaking. While the style of this wine lends itself to enjoyment within a year of bottling, I am confident that it will age well for at least five years. Anthony de Jager
Winemaker s tasting notes:
Fleshy fruit, black cherries and tobacco on the nose. Palate is rich, with good tannin grip and a long, full finish underpinned by fresh acidity.
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Petite Syrah
Although it has a relatively low alcohol, this is quite a brute of a wine, bold and full bodied, perfect for rich meat dishes. Not what I would call a wine for vegetarians! Anthony de Jager
Winemaker s tasting notes:
Liquorice and a hint of caramel on the nose. Firm tannins, with clove and aniseed spices and black berry fruit on the palate. Ripe, full finish, complemented by lavender notes.
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Petit Verdot
We have been making Petit Verdot at Fairview for a number of years, however this is the first varietal bottling. The wine shows characteristic tannin, but this is tempered by ripe, full flavoured fruit. Although this is the first bottling, I feel that the wine will age well. Anthony de Jager
Winemaker s tasting notes:
The wine has a lovely deep ruby colour. Aromas of cinnamon, plums and blackberries with subtle oak notes. Medium bodied, with ripe fruit flavours balancing the firm, yet well structured tannins.
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Sangiovese
The cooler vines at Darling are well suited to Sangiovese. The wines from this area are lighter in style and provide a good contrast to the wines from our warmer vineyards at Paarl and in the Swartland. Although a lighter style, the wine shows good complexity, with silky tannins and a clean acidity, making it an excellent food partner.
Winemaker s tasting notes:
Lively, soft ruby colour. Fresh cherry aromas with hints of clove spices. Mouthfeel is silky with fruit following through well and soft tannins lead to a clean, juicy finish.
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Tannat
This Swartland vineyard was planted in 2004, on Koffieklip soils. The vineyard was initially planted as bushvines, but we subsequently trellised the vines as we felt that it would benefit the quality of the grapes. The vineyard is unirrigated and yields were below 3 tons per hectare.
Winemaker s tasting notes:
Black cherry and liquorice character on the nose. Full bodied, with complex palate. Sweetness of the fruit flavours balance with the tannins and subtle hazelnut character of the oak. The tannins provide a lovely structure to the wine, without dominating.
