Spioenkop Wines '1900' Queen Manthatisi', Elgin 2018
Precise and fresh, with notes of ripe peach, citrus and grapefruit layered with nuances of almond, wet stone and a touch of anise. Harmoniously balanced, the tropical fruit is accented by a lovely earthy savouriness, through to a crisp, fresh finish.
This wine is named after the legendary Queen Manthatisi of the Batlokwa tribe, a formidable military leader in the 1820s.
Elgin Valley is surrounded by mountains, which creates a cool micro climate, resulting in temperatures 3°C degrees lower on average than surrounding areas. The valley funnels cooling sea breezes from the Atlantic, which is just seven miles away. The vineyard is situated between 250 to 300 metres above sea-level and has a south-east to easterly aspect to optimise sun exposure. The soils are clay mixed with iron-rich ferricreet cobbles and shale. The clay soils retain exactly the amount of water needed; while the steep slopes and rocky top soils guarantee sufficient drainage. These nutrient-poor soils, combined with a dry farming policy, impart intensity and character to the wine. Planted on steep terraces, the vines have an average age of 11 years and are Lyre and cordon trained. Hand-harvesting takes place into small, 18 kilogram crates.
The grapes were cooled overnight to 10°C, destemmed and slightly crushed. The skins were slowly pressed in a stainless steel basket press before spontaneous fermentation took place with wild yeasts. The Sauvignon Blanc component was 100% barrel-fermented, while the Chenin Blanc and Riesling varieties were vinified in stainless steel. The Sauvignon Blanc spent nine months on the fine lees in barrel; the Chenin Blanc was aged in barrel, while the Riesling was aged in stainless steel tanks to fine tune the blend.
| RRP | £21.50 |
| Vintage | 2018 |
| Alcoholic strength | 13.5% |
| Grapes | Sauvignon Blanc 70%, Riesling 23%, Chenin Blanc 7% |
| Dry/Sweet value | 1 |
| Vegetarian | Yes |
| Vegan | Yes |
| Milk | No |
| Eggs | No |
| Organic | No |
| Biodynamic | No |
Koen Roose became the founder, owner, winemaker and viticulturist all in one when he purchased Spioenkop in 2000. A former engineering student, he instead followed his passion for wine and became a qualified sommelier. Having worked vintages in Burgundy and South Africa, he nurtured his dream of creating a vineyard in the coolclimate region of Elgin. Planted in 2007, the dream became reality, with Koen following a philosophy of dry farming, with low intervention and free from artificial fertilisers, pesticides and herbicides. The farm is named after the Battle of Spioenkop in 1900, during the Anglo-Boer War. As a history enthusiast, Roose kept the name, and fittingly, Spioenkop is now creating its own history producing award-winning wines and has been awarded First Growth status by Tim Atkin MW in 2020 and 2021.
