Tasting Notes

This is a complex, well-constructed wine with good fruit that has a long life ahead of it. It has dark hues in the glass. Fruit, mint, spice and oak on the nose are followed by juicy mulberry, cassis and vanilla on the palate. Still tight and young, it should be tucked away in the cellar for the next 4 years or so to allow it to reach its full potential.

Awards, Reviews and other Notes

Jeremy Walker’s new flagship blend under the Grangehurst label is a stunning wine. One would not expect anything less from this dedicated winemaker who has so far scored 5-star ratings for his wines from WINE magazine on three occasions—an unprecedented achievement—for the Hidden Valley Pinotage ’97, the Grangehurst Cab-Merlot ’93 and the Grangehurst CWG Cab ’95. With the Nikela he strives to produce a quintessential Cape red blend that includes the unique Pinotage varietal. It is also a tribute to his parents, whose last vintage was in 1997. The name is a Nguni (Xhosa/Zulu) word that means “to offer a tribute to one’s ancestors.” The wine is a blend of 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Pinotage and 9% Merlot. The grapes from vineyards in Stellenbosch and the Devon Valley were fermented in open tanks, basket pressed and matured in French and American oak barrels for 18 months.

Winemaker Notes

Viticultural practices:
Yields per acre: ± 3 – 4 tons
Cases produced: ± 380 cases (12 x 750ml) & 1 300 magnums (1,5lt)
Appellation: Stellenbosch, South Africa
Filtration and fining: The blended wines was not cold stabilized and was only filtered once prior to bottling, so tartrate crystals and pigment deposits may form in the bottle and on the cork.
Varietal composition: 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Pinotage, 9% Merlot
Wood treatment: Mainly French and American oak (225 litre) barrels
Length of barrel maturation: Barrel Maturation – 18 Months


Winemaker's notes: After destalking and crushing the grapes, the mash (juice & skins) was fermented in open tanks for between 5 and 14 days. The cap of skins was punched down with wooden paddles and mixed with the juice 8 to 10 times per day to ensure maximum extraction of colour, tannin and flavours. After completion of the alcoholic fermentation, the free-run wine was drawn off and the skins were gently pressed in a hand-operated basket press. The press wine was blended with the free-run wine in stainless steel tanks before being transferred to small oak barrels. This wine was clarified according to the natural settling and racking method which does not involve the use of any unnatural fining agents, centrifuges or filters. This method of clarifying wine prevents it from being stripped of colour, aromas and flavours. The various component wines – Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinotage and Merlot – were matured separately in 225 litre barrels for 18 months. The wines were racked to and blended in a stainless steel tank.

Nikela - is a “Cape” blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinotage & Merlot. The word “Nikela” (pronounced “Ni-care- la”) is a Nguni (Xhosa/Zulu) word meaning “to offer dedication, respect or a tribute to one’s ancestors”, and this wine is a tribute to winemaker, Jeremy Walker’s late parents, Eddie and Betty, who contributed greatly to the establishment of Grangehurst (named after their childhood homes in England).

Wine Spec Sheet

Chemical Analysis

Varietal

Wine Spec Sheet

Alcohol: 13%
pH: 3.80
Total Acid: 6.30
Residual Sugar: 1.7

Red Blend