Origin

This wine 100% Shiraz from a single block made up of 2 clones, which make our most expressive Syrah. This block is located on our Tokara farm on the slopes of the Simonsberg Mountain just outside of Stellenbosch.

Cropping & Harvesting

The average yield is around 12 t/ha. The grapes were hand picked at optimal ripeness on the 14th and 25th March. The grapes are picked at optimum flavour and phenolic ripeness with sugars of between 23.5 to 24.5 degrees brix and acidities around 6.0 g/l.

Winemaking

The grapes are hand picked and loaded into a cold store where they are chilled down to approximately 6 degrees Celsius. 25% of the grapes are first loaded whole bunch into the tank. The remainder of the grapes were de-stemmed and crushed directly into tanks for fermentation without the use of pumps. There is first a period of cold maceration for up to 5 days before the fermentation starts spontaneously (without the use of selected yeast strains). The fermentation took place in wooden upright (foudre) fermenters. Pump-overs, dellastage and punching down of the cap were implemented twice a day for extraction until fermentationwas completed. The tanks were given maceration post fermentation if the quality and tannin profile of the wine warranted it. The wines were put to barrel for malolactic fermentation after which they were racked, sulphured and put back to barrel for a further maturation. The wines spent a total of twenty months in 30% new French oak Demi Muid barrels and- the rest being older French barrels. There are minimal racking’s during maturation. The wine matures on the gross lees for around 10 months after which it is at the time of blending. The wine is then mature for a further 12 months (total of 22 months) before being racked again just before bottling. The wine was bottled unfiltered and without fining in January 2016. 8 300 bottles were produced.

Tasting Notes

The wine displays a stunning deep garnet colour with a ruby red rim. The nose of this wine is almost hedonistic with notes of ripe fresh prunes, blueberries and blackberries. There are aromas of cedar and vanilla giving a beautiful perfume which supports the hint of blue violets emanating from the glass. The palate is classy and refined with rich dark fruit and a silky mid-palate. The wine leaves one with a dry chalky finish with a hint of a pepper bite.

Food Pairing

Grilled lamb cutlets with rosemary, venison stew or even suckling pig.

Tokara is the embodiment of GT Ferreira’s philosophy that good wine, good food and good art go together to make a good lifestyle. The magnificent private commission of installation art by Marco Cianfanelli, The Mind’s Vine, encapsulates the narrative of the creation of TOKARA and reflects our origins as a superlative wine growing environment. It engraves the history of TOKARA into the experience of every visitor to this breath-taking estate. At the centre of the Cape Winelands lies the Simonsberg mountain, a fynbos-rich massif, home to exceptional vineyards since the 17th century. It’s on the southern slopes, with unrivalled views over False Bay to Table Mountain, that you will find TOKARA’s home vineyards and olive groves.

Vineyards

Situated 50km to the east of Table Mountain, the TOKARA “home farm” is rested on the Simonsberg side of the Banghoek Valley, at elevations of between 350m and 550m. Soil profiles are of weathered sandstone and decomposed granite, the combination lendingstructure, perfume and longevity to our wines. Our Highlands vineyard lies to the south of Stellenbosch in Elgin, a cool-climate area atop Sir Lowry’s Pass. Soils are predominantly Table Mountain sandstone imparting an ethereal scent to our Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.

Background

In 1994 GT Ferreira purchased the Tokara farm for residential purposes. But that was until the wine-making potential of this land was discovered. The cool air makes for great wine and soon classic varietals were planted along the slopes of the Helshoogte Pass.From the estate, you’ll be able to catch a glimpse of Idas Valley, False Bay and the Simonsberg Mountains. Three different farms in Stellenbosch, Elgin and Hemel-and-Arde valley supply the Tokara winery. The Highlands vineyard in Elgin is surrounded by Fynbos and near the coast. Due to it being cooler in Elgin, the Highlands Sauvignon Blanc ripens six weeks later than the Tokara Stellenbosch Sauvignon Blanc vineyards. The Tokara Premium Wine Range includes Whites such as the Reserve Collection Walker Bay Chardonnay, Reserve Collection Noble Late Harvest, Walker Bay Sauvignon Blanc, White (Semillon), Elgin Sauvignon Blanc and Stellenbosch Chardonnay. The Red is called Red (A Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot blend).