21st Century Cape Classics! Rust en Vrede Classified among top SA reds

 

IT WAS IN 1694 that Rust en Vrede was established among the foothills of what became known as the Helderberg area of the Stellenbosch winelands. The Engelbrecht family have been the proprietors since the late 1970s, and for over 40 years the farm has been one of South Africa’s leading producers, specialising in red wines. The ‘Estate’ blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Merlot headed up the range until the ‘1694 Classification’ was launched as a blend of the oldest and the best Shiraz and Cab on the farm – 2006 the maiden vintage.

Winemaker Coenie Snyman recalls that back in the day, the Syrah at Rust en Vrede used to be so much better than the Cabernet, but over the past 10 to 15 years the Cab has gone through “a fantastic evolution”. Cabernet Sauvignon now accounts for 60% of the plantings, with Shiraz at 30%, and the focus on Cab could rise to 80% plus down the line. There have also been changes to the wooding regimen: no American oak has been used for a number of years and new oak is down to around 25% in recent vintages, most of the barrels now second-fill.

At ±60 000 bottles a year, the ‘Estate’ blend remains Rust en Vrede’s “heartbeat”, as Snyman puts it, with production of the ‘1694’ limited to between 4000 and 7000 bottles. So successful have they been on the world stage over the years, it’s conceivable that the the farm’s Single Vineyard Cabernet and Single Vineyard Syrah might be discontinued in the best interests of the top blends.

The current-release 2016 ‘Estate’ achieved an “outstanding” review on Winemag.co.za last year, and both this blend and the 2016 vintage of the ‘1694 Classification’ were named Wines of the Year in the 2020 edition of Platter’s SA Wine Guide – as was the 2016 Single Vineyard Cab, with the 2016 Single Vineyard Syrah also earning a 5 Star rating. Some would argue that Rust en Vrede should have won Platter’s Winery of the Year award. So good is the track record of the ‘1694’ that in the 2020 SA Wine Classification it ranks among the top red blends as well as one of the Top 100 wines overall.

The approach of the winemaking team is to get things right in the vineyard, so that you don’t have to pussyfoot around in the cellar to compensate for this or that. No gentle pressing required, full extraction if you please. Trademark opulence. Powerful wine…

 

RUST EN VREDE 1694 CLASSIFICATION 2016
WO Rust en Vrede Estate Stellenbosch. Single-Vineyard Shiraz (61%) and Single-Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (39%) planted in 1998 and 2000 respectively. Harvested 3 February to 27 March 2016. Bottled 05.02.2018. Released 12.03.2019. Winemaker Coenie Snyman and viticulturist Dirkie Mouton.
Low winter rainfall, dry summer, drip irrigation. Grapes hand-picked, hand-sorted. Initial fermentation in open-top tanks, malolactic fermentation in barrel. 22 months maturation in French oak barrels (65% 500L and 35% 300L, 50% new and 50% second-fill). Each harvest parcel and clone of each variety vinified separately before blending. Only 4620 bottles.
Alc 14.3 | RS 2.6 | TA 5.9 | pH 3.6
Winemaker’s Tasting Notes: “Rich dark fruits dominant on the nose, with Black Forest gateau, cedar and cinnamon providing layers of aromas. Bold black cherry and cassis disguise more subtle floral and red current notes that appear as the wine opens up… Plush tannins that are fine yet grippy, leaving a pleasantly dry finish. Black cherry and cassis that follow through from the nose are layered with the spiciness of cinnamon and nutmeg, as well as more savoury notes of cedar, cigar-box and a hint of tobacco leaf. Seamless yet complex, the dry, lingering finish develops into a combination of black and red cherry.”
Ageing Potential: 10 to 15 years after vintage
Serving Temperature: 14° to 16°C
Cellar-door Price: R1500

 

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