Fairview celebrates International Grenache Day with a new Single Vineyard Grenache wine called Stok by Paaltjie
Launching on International Grenache Day (16 September 2016), Charles Back and the Fairview team are proud to release their new, Single Vineyard Grenache wine called Stok by Paaltjie
One of the key philosophical traits Fairview has orientated itself around is to always push the boundaries of traditional winemaking through ingenuity. For decades, Charles Back and his team have done this by planting varieties that are best suited to their surroundings. Their newest release, Stok by Paaltjie Grenache, is one such variety, being the 6th addition to their Single Vineyard range and enjoying a new wave of appreciation among locals.
“Our Stok by Paaltjie is so called as, translated from Afrikaans, it means Vine by Post. Vine by Post is a unique trellising system, whereby the vine grows upwards along an individual supportive pole, giving each vine time to develop its own tiny character. This is how the grapes to make this wine were grown,” explains winemaker, Anthony de Jager. “The vineyard itself is also one of the most striking on the farm, rich with soils that have been chiselled, shaped and terraced over the course of nearly two millennia.”
The vineyard in which the Stok by Paaltjie grapes are grown is small and steeply terraced, bustling with animal life and natural fynbos growing in and amongst the vines. For this reason, Back and the team decided to bring the exceptional origin of the wine to the fore, by opting to hand illustrate the terraced vineyard on the bottle’s label.
This Grenache has a bright red colour with intense fynbos, red fruits and sour cherry notes on the nose. The palate is elegant, with wild strawberry and savoury aromas and effortlessly integrated tannins on the finish. Stok by Paaltjie makes a masterful match with charred lamb chops, spicy Moroccan tagine and Spanish classics like paella.
As a firm advocate for the versatility of this cultivar, Back had the vision – and the patience – to wait until the Grenache grapes were ready to bring you the maiden bottling of this block. With only exceptional parcels of the vineyards hand harvested and meticulously basket pressed, this limited Single Vineyard wine is undoubtedly worth the wait.
For now, Stok by Paaltjie is exclusive to Fairview’s online store, Fairview Cellar Door (http://cellar.fairview.co.za/stok-by-paaltjie-grenache.html) and is priced at R235 a bottle.
For more information on Stok By Paaltjie, please contact lianda@fairview.co.za or call +27 21 863 2450
