Solms-Wijn de Caab Hiervandaan 2005

Hiervandaan is a blend of Shiraz, Mourvèdre, Grenache, Carignan and Viognier. A portion of the Shiraz is desiccated on the vine according to an ancient method to intensify the colour and add additional flavour components. The Viognier component consists of skins only. The wine is a dark colour with intense flavours and dried orange peel aromas. It is a rich tannic wine with great ageing potential.

Hiervandaan (meaning ‘from this place’) is a word with special significance in the colonial history of the Cape. Marquard de Villiers, scion of a Huguenot family that farmed at Delta from 1771 to 1823, points out that it was used by early European settlers to define their new identity. “Ons is hiervandaan, ons is Afrikaners.’ ‘We are from this place, we are Africans.’ De Villiers also tells the moving story of a conversation he had at a neighbouring farm that was once the seat of his family. After proudly telling a labourer of Khoi origin that his family had farmed there 300 years ago, the fellow replied that he too was ‘hiervandaan’ but his people had only lived there ‘sommer van altyd’ (just since forever).

Is a new blend of Shiraz (37%), Mourvèdre (23%), Grenache (18%), Carignan (12%), Viognier (10%). 12% of the blend was from Shiraz grapes desiccated on the vine to concentrate flavours and intensify colour. Only the skins of the Viognier were used. These were fermented till dry and left in the tank for three weeks. Pressed directly after fermentation. Regular stirring of the lees imparted complexity to the wine and protected it from premature ageing.Wood Maturation for 13 months in mostly new French oak from the forests of Allier.

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