De Grendel Elim Shiraz 2018, magnum

The Elim Shiraz grapes are grown in the cool maritime climate of Elim close to Cape Agulhas, a wine-growing potential that our cellar master Charles Hopkins saw more than 20 years ago when he identified it as the ideal climate for making the distinctive rotundone style of shiraz alluringly fragrant with deep black pepper intensity.

De Grendel Elim Shiraz is Hopkins passion project, a dream that came to fruition with the first vintage of De Grendel Elim Shiraz in 2016. That vintage immediately attracted accolades, a winning streak form that has continued in the two subsequent vintages.
De Grendel Elim Shiraz 2018 expresses maraschino cherry, violet and blackberry aromas leading into a rich palate layered with intense black fruit flavours, firm tannins supported by well-integrated oak. Matured for 13 months in second and third fill French oak barrels, Elim Shiraz is made to age gracefully into its full power over at least the next decade, and is available in limited quantities.

Although accessible now, the wine will mature beautifully for at least ten years.

Tasting Note

This unique Shiraz expresses maraschino cherry, violet and blackberry aromas. It offers a rich palate with firm tannins, supported by well-integrated oak and is multi-layered with intense black fruit flavours. This is a big-structured Shiraz that will please even the most discerning Shiraz devotees.

Food Compliments

Lamb shawarma, Greek-style leg of lamb with plenty of fresh herbs, or crispy pork belly roasted with Chinese five spice.

The Vintage

A surprising, yet contradictory, growing season coming off the back of the severe heat and drought of 2017, the 2018 vintage experienced consistently hot and dry weather but no significant heat waves. The cold to moderate nights coupled with the much-needed light rain in early December resulted in diseasefree grapes with excellent flavour concentration and acidity, delivering an approximate 15% increase in crop. The wine will express the heat of the year, displaying more tropical fruit if compared to the 2017 vintage.

The Vinification

A small volume of carefully selected fruit was brought to De Grendel in the early hours of the morning. The fruit, 30% of which was left as whole clusters, was open fermented in stainless steel tanks. The fermenting cap was punched down four times a day to produce more robust tannins with excellent structure and concentration of fruit. The wine was matured for 13 months in second and third fill French Oak barrels.