Technical Analysis
Estate Reserve Red Blend (formerly Grand Vin de Glenelly) is the signature red wine of the estate, a blend of Shiraz, Cabernet, Merlot and Petit Verdot.
Tasting note
Glenelly Estate Reserve is the signature red blend of the estate and is based on the classic claret blend from the 1700’s. Rich cassis and mulberry with cedar and tobacco reveal cabernet as the backbone to this blend. On the mid palate red and black cherry accompanied by a hint of black pepper spice, highlights Syrah's contribution. Intense fruit flavours are layered with mocha, Christmas cake, sandalwood and leather, bringing complexity to the wine. Balanced by fresh, fruity acidity, the wine's firm tannins lead to a clean, dry finish, promising excellent aging potential. 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 12% Syrah, 7% Petit Verdot, 5% Cabernet franc
Vintage conditions
Winter was late, but cold enough to allow dormancy of the vines. Low rainfall brought low soil moisture levels which led to managing stress in the vines later in the season. Luckily spring sprung with good, even bud burst. Warm weather, especially from the end of October to the end of January, resulted in restricted growth, smaller berries and lower bunch mass. The harvest happened a week earlier than anticipated and the yield was smaller than in previous years.
Vinification details
The grapes were hand-sorted and lightly crushed into stainless steel fermentation tanks. They were given a cold soak for three days before allowing the natural fermentation to start. Three pump overs a day were done on the tanks during fermentation, after which they underwent extended skin contact for 2-3 weeks. The wine was placed in French oak barrels to undergo malolactic fermentation and matured for 18 months in French oak and racked, on average, every four months.
AWARDS
Tim Atkin MW: 94 pts
Platter: 94 pts
Vinous: 90 pts
James Suckling: 90 pts
Wine Advocate: 92+ pts
Technical Analysis
Estate Reserve Red Blend (formerly Grand Vin de Glenelly) is the signature red wine of the estate, a blend of Shiraz, Cabernet, Merlot and Petit Verdot.
Tasting note
Glenelly Estate Reserve is the signature red blend, based on the classic claret blend of the 1700’s. The 2016 vintage is made from 43% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, 15% Syrah, 11% Petit Verdot, 10% Cabernet Franc and offers plenty of ageing potential. Expect aromas of plum and cherry. Flavours of mulberry and blackcurrant leaf in the mid palate with hints of fresh herbs and rich tannins to support it all.
Vintage conditions
Winter was late, but cold enough to allow dormancy of the vines. Low rainfall brought low soil moisture levels which led to managing stress in the vines later in the season. Luckily spring sprung with good, even bud burst. Warm weather, especially from the end of October to the end of January, resulted in restricted growth, smaller berries and lower bunch mass. The harvest happened a week earlier than anticipated and the yield was smaller than in previous years.
Vinification details
The grapes were hand-sorted and lightly crushed into stainless steel fermentation tanks. They were given a cold soak for three days before allowing the natural fermentation to start. Three pump overs a day were done on the tanks during fermentation, after which they underwent extended skin contact for 2-3 weeks. The wine was placed in French oak barrels to undergo malolactic fermentation and matured for 18 months in French oak and racked, on average, every four months.
AWARDS
Tim Atkin MW: 93 pts
Platter: 4.5*
DWWA: Silver
IWC: Silver
Technical Analysis
Estate Reserve Red Blend (formerly Grand Vin de Glenelly) is the signature red wine of the estate, a blend of Shiraz, Cabernet, Merlot and Petit Verdot.
Tasting note
Glenelly Estate Reserve is our signature red blend, based on the classic claret blend of the 1700’s. The 2015 vintage is made from 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 15% Syrah, 10% Petit Verdot, 10% Cabernet Franc and offers plenty of ageing potential. Expect aromas of plum and cherry. Flavours of mulberry and blackcurrant leaf in the mid palate with hints of fresh herbs and rich tannins to support it all.
Vintage conditions
Thanks to sufficient cold spells, full dormancy break was achieved, encouraging the vines’ health. Bud break occurred early in the season. Then warmer days but cooler nights in December created a high diurnal range but also speed up readiness of the crop. 2015 was a text book vintage but seen as “fast” and resulted in harvest starting 2 weeks earlier than the norm. Low pH levels and good acidity characterise the results of this harvest.
Vinification details
The grapes were hand-sorted and lightly crushed into stainless steel fermentation tanks. They were given a cold soak for three days before allowing the natural fermentation to start. Three pump overs a day were done on the tanks during fermentation, after which they underwent extended skin contact for 2-3 weeks. The wine was placed in French oak barrels to undergo malolactic fermentation and matured for 18 months in French oak and racked, on average, every four months.
AWARDS
DWWA: Silver
Tim Atkin MW: 94 pts
Technical Analysis
Estate Reserve Red Blend (formerly Grand Vin de Glenelly) is the signature red wine of the estate, a blend of Shiraz, Cabernet, Merlot and Petit Verdot.
Tasting note
The 2014 vintage has rich powerful aromatics of fresh blackberries, blackcurrant, spicy plum and cedar. Bold and rich, with fine tannin supported by ripe fresh fruit and hints of spice combine with good oak integration, merging into a long fresh finish. 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Syrah, 18% Cabernet Franc, 18% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot.
Vintage conditions
Flowering and berry set was good. Vigorous growth happened due to high soil moisture content, which was a result of the wet winter, therefore more canopy management was required. Rain in November and January meant less irrigation, but disease pressure was higher and stricter controls were needed. Ideal dry and moderate conditions reigned during ripening in late January and February. A cooler March helped with hang time on the vine. Harvest was 1 week later than normal due to late cold winter. Stellenbosch had one off the wettest seasons in years, but wine quality is exceptional.
Vinification details
The grapes were hand sorted and lightly crushed into stainless steel fermentation tanks. They were given a cold soak for three days before allowing the natural fermentation to start. Three pump overs a day were done on the tanks during fermentation, after which they underwent extended skin contact for 2-3 weeks. The wine was placed in French oak barrels to undergo malolactic fermentation, then matured for 18 months in French oak and racked on average every four months.
AWARDS
DWWA: Silver
Neil Martin: 92 pts
Technical Analysis
Estate Reserve Red Blend (formerly Grand Vin de Glenelly) is the signature red wine of the estate, a blend of Shiraz, Cabernet, Merlot and Petit Verdot.
Tasting note
The 2013 vintage is all about elegance with underlying power. Bold aromas of blackberries, cranberry and blackcurrant are followed by hints of savoury, spicy plum with touches of cedar and floral tones. The palate entry has good richness with fine tannin supported by the ripe fresh fruit and hints of spice. Very balanced oak integration with a fresh long finish. A blend of 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 15% Syrah, 11% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot.
Vintage conditions
The 2013 harvest started two weeks later than normal. A prolonged winter into September followed by a cool spring meant a delay in bud burst by 14 days. However, cold and wet conditions helped with an even bud burst and meant the vines had enough water for the warm conditions later in the season. A warm November and moist soils lead to dense canopies which meant greater management was needed. Due to a warm dry December later cultivars ripened earlier and the earlier cultivars later, which lead to pressure in the cellar.
Vinification details
The grapes were hand sorted and lightly crushed into stainless steel fermentation tanks. They were given a cold soak for three days before natural fermentation was allowed to start. Three pump overs a day were done on the tanks during fermentation, after which they underwent extended skin contact for 2-3 weeks. The wine was placed in French oak barrels to undergo malolactic fermentation. Matured for 18 months in French oak and racked on average every four months.
AWARDS
Tim Atkin MW: 93 pts
Neil Martin: 91 pts
Platter: 4.5*
