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Latest Newsletter: December 2011
Dear Friends
This time of the year reminds me of the story of the schoolboy, who, when asked where his Dad worked, replied "No my Dad doesn't work – he's a farmer!" It seems to be assumed by many that the only time we work is during the vintage, which, admittedly, is a frantic period, but there is something to keep us busy all year long. Currently we are shepherding our vines along, trying to produce healthy and flavourful grapes come harvest time. This entails meticulous canopy management, disease control and judicious irrigation practices – all part of our farming job! What we have no control over is the weather, but this is looking good for the moment, and we haven't had the strong and damaging winds this year that have been common recently.
In the winery we are busy getting the 2010 red wines into bottle. This is a laborious job as we have to taste the wine from each and every barrel (about 500 barrels for the 2010 reds) and then make decisions on where the wine from each barrel should go. It's actually a satisfying job, especially this year as the wines look fantastic. We are doing the same with the wooded white wines, and they too are looking great. All this work requires to be completed before the new vintage, which we anticipate to begin in February next year.
No matter how busy we are, we would still love to see you in the tasting room, should you be in Stellenbosch.
The Thelema team would like to wish you all a happy and peaceful holiday season.
Until next time.
Warm regards,
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The 2011 Release
Thelema Range (Stellenbosch)
Thelema Sauvignon Blanc 2011
A typical Thelema Sauvignon Blanc - lovely fresh melon and grapefruit flavours, with a full, grassy palate, all in perfect balance.
Thelema Muscat de Frontignan 2011
Off-dry. Fragrant, fresh and in good balance; an irresistible quaffer.
Thelema Riesling 2010
Made in a German style, with a fragrant, spicy nose. This wine is slightly sweeter than normal, with lower alcohol (11.89%), and will develop complexity with cellaring.
Thelema Chardonnay 2010
This wine has a beautiful light straw colour with hints of green. The nose shows pure marmalade fruit and complex yeasty flavours in a nice harmony with toasty oak. The palate is clean and pure with a lovely texture and finishes long.
Thelema "Ed's Reserve" Chardonnay 2010
This wine shows distinctive characters - a limey, peppery, muscatty flavour - typical of this unique vineyard. This is a very fragrant wine, with lovely yeasty flavours, and a velvety mouth feel and a long finish.
Thelema "Vin de Hel" Muscat Late Harvest 2008 (375ml)
Beautiful rich golden colour with very typical Muscat characters on the nose complemented by some undertones of citrus and apricot. Superb mouthfeel with bags of flavour which is backed up with a good balance of acid.
Thelema Rhine Riesling Late Harvest 2008 (375ml)
This wine has a delicious apricot and honeysuckle character, and is lush and soft on the palate. It should age well and become much more complex in a few years' time. Perfect to enjoy with dessert or some fine handcrafted cheeses.
Thelema Mountain Red 2009
Spicy aromas of black pepper and mulberry mingle with the plum flavours in this soft and approachable wine.
Thelema Shiraz 2008
Rich and robust, this exuberant charmer shows ripe black fruit and spice, with a lovely toasty finish. Full bodied. Will reward cellaring.
Thelema Merlot 2009
Juicy, upfront red fruit and concentrated flavours, backed up with surprisingly firm tannins. Wonderfully balanced.
Thelema Merlot Reserve 2009
This wine is a blend of the best parcels within our merlot vineyards. A wine well structured and showing extraordinary concentrations of ripe berries and cedar wood. Will reward cellaring
Thelema Cabernet Sauvignon 2008
Complex and stylish, with bags of ripe blackcurrant and coffee flavours. This wine is bone dry, yet exhibits a lovely sweet fruit character on the palate. The finish is long and firm.
Thelema "The Mint" Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
Concentrated cassis, mocha and dark chocolate flavours spring to the fore, with a distinctive fresh mint character;
Thelema Rabelais 2007
Rabelais is a blend of the best Bordeaux components within our Thelema range from the 2007 vintage. Extraordinary concentrations of luscious dark berries and cedar wood on the nose complimented by a lovely sweet fruit character on the palate.
Sutherland Range (Elgin)
Sutherland Sauvignon Blanc 2011
Juicy melon and mineral flavours. This wine is fragrant and fruity with a dry finish.
Sutherland Rhine Riesling 2009
Semi sweet. Fragrant, pungent orange blossom and lime character that is sweetish on the palate, and has a long finish. Will reward cellaring.
Sutherland Viognier/Roussanne 2009
This blend exhibits sun-dried apricot and petal aromas, with rosemary and marzipan undertones. The wine has excellent texture and complexity; a prefect accompaniment to mildly spicy dishes.
Sutherland Chardonnay 2010
This wine has a beautiful light straw colour with hints of green. The nose shows pure marmalade fruit and complex yeasty flavours in a nice harmony with toasty oak. The palate is clean and pure with a lovely texture and finishes long.
Sutherland Pinot Noir 2010
This Pinot Noir was aged in French oak barrels for 9 months. The wine is light and clean, with earthy wild strawberry and raspberry flavours, and a perfumed and elegant finish.
Sutherland Syrah 2008
This Shiraz was aged in French oak barrels for 18 months. This wine is tasty and complex; showing black berry flavours with great texture on the palate. There are blackcurrant and fynbos aromas on the nose. Will reward cellaring.
Sutherland Cabernet Sauvignon/Petit Verdot 2008
This BLEND was aged in French oak barrels for 18 months. The wine is packed with dark fruit flavours, and shows a pleasant spiciness on the palate. There is a refreshing sweet blackcurrant finish. Will reward cellaring.
