Fairview - 'Cyril Back' Red Blend, Coastal Region - 2016 (750ml)

Wine Composition

90% Shiraz, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon

Winemakers Comments

For the Fairview Limited Release Cyril Back, only grapes from the best sites of the winery were used. They deliver a limited red wine because only six barrels were produced from this vintage. The Shiraz, which was refined with a small percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon, sparkles in a dark garnet red in the glass. The complexity of the Fairview Limited Release Cyril Back is already evident in the bouquet. Rich notes of blackberry and plum are underscored by pepper, a touch of violet and smoky undertones. The fruity and spicy nuances are also found on the palate. The expressive red wine has matured for 29 months in French oak and impresses with its unique structure and elegance.

Awards

John Platter | 95 points

Technical Analysis

Alcohol Percentage 

13.5%

TA

5.8 g/l

pH 

3.28

RS

4.3 g/l

Cellar Techniques

The expressive red wine has matured for 29 months in French oak and impresses with its unique structure and elegance.

Winemaker

Name: Anthony de Jager

Winery

The Fairview winery at the foothills of the Paarl Mountains was one of the very first wineries to be founded at the Cape in 1693. Just six years later, the first wine was produced. After a turbulent history, Charles Back, grand-father of today's owner with the same name, purchased the farm in 1937 and gave it a new lease of life. Since that time, the estate has been run by the third generation of the Back family - quite successfully. True to the motto 'Go where the terroir is', Charles Back revised the concept of Fairview in the 1980s and experimented with lesser-known grape varieties. This does not only allow a larger variety of wines and optimal conditions for the ripening time of the grapes, but also innovative wine creations which are closely linked with tradition. 

The combination of innovation and tradition also mirrored in the unusual crest of the winery. The goat has become the estate's mascot long ago and has become part of Fairview's identity. A legend goes that some errant members of Fairview's long-established goatherd once escaped from their paddock into the Fairview vineyards after Charles Back's young son Jason accidentally left the gate open. The little group happily roamed among the vineyards, showing rare discernment by selecting some of the ripest berries from the vines. Those berries have been used to make this white blend, a light, bright green, medium-bodied wine with aromas of apricots and pear and zesty acidity.