This wine was made from grapes originating from vineyards growing indifferent regions in the Cape winelands– Wellington (30%), Walker Bay (20%), Swartland (20%), Darling (15%), Paarl (10%) and Durbanville (5%).
The 2003 vintage was preceded by acool, wet winter. Summer was relativelycool throughout, lending exceptionalvarietal flavours to the grapes.Conditions favoured healthy grapesand even ripening. Although favourablegrowing conditions caused larger thannormal berries, the elegant wines thatwere made show good concentrationand colour.
All the vineyards have unique macro climates and grow in a large variety of soil types. Different clones are represented. All vineyards are trellised in accordance with the Perold system and are managed to be perfectly in balance in terms of leaf coverage and yield. Thanks to the different terroirs, each region produces its own distinctive grapes. The result is that each region makes a unique contribution in flavour and structure. Furthermore, each terroir has its own time of ripening and grapes were harvested over a period of one month.
The de-stalked grapes were cold-soaked for two to three days. Approximately 20%was allowed to ferment spontaneously to enhance complexity. The rest was inoculated with selected yeast strains,which ensures controlled fermentation and promotes clean varietal flavours. Fermentation was in roto tanks at between 23 to 25 degrees Celsius. After fermentation, there was extended skin contact for up to 20 days. The wine was matured in 225-litre oak barrels – 30%new, 30% second-fill and 40% third-fill (85% French, 10% American and 5% Hungarian) for 19 months. After selection of the best barrels the wine was blended and 2 500 cartons (12 x750ml) were bottled on 14 June 2005 and released as 2003 La Motte Shiraz.
The first impression of the wine is its prominent sweet tobacco and fruitcake aromas. There are also layers of blackberry, with cinnamon, clove and wildflower flavours. The palate is medium-full, with powdery tannins that will become velvety soft and elegant with time. There is a pleasant leathery after-taste.
Alcohol 14,28% vol
Residual sugar 2,37 g/l
Total acid 5,15 g/l
pH 3,83
