Renowned as South Africa's first Michelin-starred chef, Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen has long embraced the artistry of wine in his culinary journey. Now, he proudly introduces his debut collection under his own label. The collection is named in homage to his acclaimed restaurant, JAN, in Nice, France. Each bottle is meticulously blended from select grape varieties cultivated in the renowned vineyards of the Western Cape, South Africa.
Grape Varietals:
78% Syrah, 18% Grenache, 4% Mourvèdre
Tasting Notes:
Ripe, dark fruit on the nose with blackberry, cranberry and white pepper. The wine opens up showing red berries and spice with juicy red fruit on the palate, underpinned by subtle hints of oak.
Food pairings:
A hearty stew with root vegetables or a roasted leg of venison served accompanied by a dark cherry sauce.
Vineyards and harvest:
These vineyards are situated on South westerly and westerly facing slopes ranging in altitude from 100m-200m above sea level. All the vines are trellised on a seven-wire hedge system that allows for perfect containment of the sometimes-vigorous growth habits of the Shiraz and Grenache varieties. Pruned to two-bud spurs, allowing for 16-18 bearers per running meter.
Vinification:
All cultivars were fermented separately in open red wine fermenters. The fermentation temperature hovered between 26 C and 28 C. Regular pump overs helped with extracting intense colour and soft, pliable tannins. After fermentation, the wine was pressed and racked to 500L French oak barrels of which 15% was new oak. The different components were aged for 12 months before blending.
What's in the box
6 x Bottles of Jan Red
