Olifantsberg2021 Soul of the Mountain ‘The Matriarch’, Olifantsberg
Breedekloof, South AfricaVintage: 2024
Deep ruby with garnet edges, The Matriarch opens with aromas of ripe cherry, blackberry compote, and dried roses, layered with leather, spice, and a touch of cedar. The palate is graceful yet firm, with silky tannins carrying flavours of dark fruit, baking spice, and savoury herbs. Maturity adds complexity, leaving a long, poised, and elegant finish.
For when: you want wisdom and elegance in the glass.
Pairs with: lamb tagine, mushroom Wellington, or evenings that stretch into conversation.
If this wine were a person, it’d be the matriarch at the table — calm, generous, quietly commanding.
Olifantsberg’s Matriarch is crafted from the finest parcels on the estate, embodying both strength and grace. Ageing in oak and bottle has brought harmony, proving that Breedekloof reds can be as elegant as they are powerful.
Notable Awards
94 Pts, Tim Atkin MW, 2023
Whats in the bottle
Roussanne 67%, Grenache Blanc 23%, Chenin Blanc 10%
12 Mixed Bottles *
£25.16
Save £2.80
* As part of a mixed case of any 12 bottles
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Tel : 02922 337454
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Description
Olifantsberg is passionate about producing authentic wines with a true sense of place, which reflect the unique location of their vineyard. The focus is on sustainable farming and winemaking practices, resulting in limited intervention in the both the vineyard and cellar. They hold the Integrated Production of Wine (IPW) certification for sustainability. The team are fully committed to understanding their terroir and managing their natural resources through conservation, which adds to the singularity of their wines. The unique terroir with its combination of Breede-shale, Renosterveld and sandstone soils, constant winds and elevation, produces concentrated fruit that winemaker Elizma Visser translates into elegant, fresh and age-worthy wines. In Tim Atkin’s 2021 South Africa Report, Elizma was awarded the prestigious Young Winemaker of the Year Award.
The complexity in this wine came from the combination of seven different vineyard sites. Within each site, pickings were staggered between two to six times, with natural acidity being retained early on and complexity building throughout the ripening stages. Overnight settling took place after whole bunch pressing. A small component of a skin contact ferment took place on the Grenache Blanc, while the Roussanne was whole bunch fermented in egg-shaped fermenters. All components matured on their lees to increase texture and no stirring took place. The blend was compiled after each component had matured separately for seven months in oak, then the blend spent a further three months in oak foudres. 8% new French oak.
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