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 Solo Wines started business in July 2008 after many years of deferring a dream. The brand is about individualism and I aim to make wines which speak of their own intrinsic characteristics and are not contrived or manufactured. The 2008 CWG Auction served as a debut when, The Guildsman 2005 came under the hammer.
Solo will start off as a virtual winery; grapes will be bought from selected blocks and made in an appointed winery. The emphasis will be on small lots of handcrafted wines and the business will be grown organically over the next few years. My personal favourites are Rhone style wines and there will be an emphasis in that direction. The goal is to make a red and a white varietal and a red and a white blend. Shiraz, Grenache, Mourvedre and Viognier will feature strongly although there will also be space for the odd Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay.
Apart from starting Solo, I have made wine over the past 25 years at Delheim, Neethlingshof and Lourensford. I have been a member of the Guild since 1987 and have also been fortunate to serve as Chairman and now as a Trustee of the Development Trust.
Together with the establishment of my wine brand I am actively involved in wine consulting where I advise clients on the best way to achieve their winemaking goals. Not only do my clients gain valuable insight through my many years of experience but it ensures that I stay up to date with the latest technology.
Last, but not least, I also conduct exclusive, private wine tours in the Cape Winelands and this gives me an unique opportunity to network with serious wine lovers while showing them our vinous treasures.
Solo, The One and Only
| Auction Wines |
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| Lourensford L3 003 |
70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 10% Shiraz This wine commemorates the first vintage at Lourensford. The blend was constructed from the best barrels of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and Shiraz after spending twelve months in wood. Tasting note: Strong notes of leather, kelp and blackcurrant are obvious in this dense, mulberry coloured wine. The palate is full and generous with enough tannin to bring this wine to fulfilment.
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| Auction Year: 2004 |
| Lourensford Limited Release 2004 |
Vinification using gravity fed equipment and applying the philosophy of minimum mechanical intervention. Wood maturation in a selection of French and American 300 litre barrels for 14 months. Tasting Note: Deep hues of plum in the colour. Hints of kelp, bourbon and vanilla on the nose. The palate is layered and laced with berry fruits and peppery spice. |
| Auction Year: 2005 |
| Lourensford Limited Release 2004 |
Vinification using gravity fed equipment and applying the philosophy of minimum mechanical intervention. Wood maturation in a selection of French and American 300 litre barrels for 14 months. 80 cases of this wine were sold at the 2005 Auction.
Tasting Note:
Deep hues of plum in the colour. Hints of kelp, bourbon and vanilla on the nose. The palate is layered and laced with berry fruits and peppery spice.
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| Auction Year: 2006 |
| Lourensford Limited Release 2005 |
Classic rack and return transfers during fermentation on the skins.
Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz components blended and matured for 15 months in 100% new French oak.
Tasting Notes
The wine has intense purple hues. The nose delivers blackcurrant, tobacco leaf and vanilla aromas. The palate is rich and round, ending in a neat, dry finish.
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| Auction Year: 2007 |
| Neethlingshof Shiraz Reserve 2001 |
Intense, with almost purple colour hues and with freshly ground coffee and meatiness on the nose, the wine has a firm, fleshy palate with an underlying pepperiness, great extract and length of finish. |
| Auction Year: 2002 |
| Solo The Guildsman 2005 |
Fermentation on the skins with rack-and-return transfers to extract colour and complexity. Cabernet and Shiraz components made separately, then blended and matured for 15 months in new French oak.
Tasting note:
The wine has a deep colour with purple tints. The bouquet delivers blackcurrant , tobacco leaf and vanilla aromas. The palate is rich, concentrated and round.
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| Auction Year: 2008 |
| Solo The Guildsman 2006 |
Winemaking Notes:
Grapes selected from the Faure region and the Lourensford valley were harvested at an average of 25 °B and sorted prior to processing. Destalking and light crushing preceded the gravity feed to the fermentation tanks. Yeast was added to the must and a daily regime of 3 rack-and-return operations were carried out. Upon completion of the alcoholic fermentation, the wine was immediately transferred to new 300 litre, French oak barrels where it underwent malolactic fermentation and further maturation for 25 months. The wine was finally bottled on 6 February 2008.
Tasting Notes:
Dense, inky red colour. Aromas of leather, vanilla and Rooibos tea are woven into a complex nose. The palate is quite a muscular frame containing an elegant core; rather like a ballet dancer. The tannins are still youthful and enduring.
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| Auction Year: 2009 |
| The Guildsman 2009 |
81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Shiraz, 2% Mourvedre, 2% Malbec, 1% Cabernet franc, 1% Petit Verdot
This Mediterranean style blend follows the tradition of eclectic blends created especially for the Guild Auction. Aged for two years in second fill French oak barrels.
Tasting note: Radiant, ruby-red colour. Ripe, red fruit and macerated fruit aromas. Juicy and succulent with a firm tannin backbone. This wine will be best enjoyed in 2017.
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| Auction Year: 2011 |
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