Sula Vineyards – Shiraz – 2022-23

Description

PRODUCER NOTE:
Situated in Nashik, India’s largest grape-growing region, Sula Vineyards was set up in 1997 by Rajeev Samant & Kerry Damsky. They pioneered the growing of the French grape varieties Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc, which were first released in 2000 to wide acclaim as India’s best white wines. Sula now cultivates Shiraz and Zinfandel amongst other international varieties and is broadly recognised as India’s premium wine producer. At Sula, they believe in being a steward of the land and follow sustainable practices. As an eco-friendly company, a significant amount of resources is committed to sustainable winemaking practices and ensuring fair livelihoods for Sula’s community of farmers across Maharashtra and Karnataka. A large number of Sula’s workers come from disadvantaged communities and have seen a significant change in their standard of living through their employment with the company; this has been nothing short of a revolution in the surrounding villages.

VINTAGE:
The 2021 was a good vintage, with excellent conditions throughout the growing season. The summer was dry, with sufficient rainfall prior to pruning to refresh the vines and replenish ground water. The vines were largely disease free, producing moderate yields of fruit which showed superb balance. The resulting wines are aromatic, structured with good fruit concentration.

VINEYARD:
The vineyard is located in Nashik, to the north of Mumbai in the Western Ghats Mountains. The vines are grown at approximately 600 metres above sea level. The climate here is mild in the winter with temperatures of approximately 10°C, rising to 35°C in the summer. Rainfall can be high. The vines are grown in red soils with gravel and clay, which has a high iron content and good drainage.

WINEMAKING:
The grapes were cold soaked and then fermented in stainless steel tanks at controlled temperatures of between 25° to 30°C. During fermentation regular, gentle pump-overs took place to extract the desired levels of colour and flavour and to impart structure to the wine. The wine is influenced with a subtle oak character to impart complexity to the wine.

TASTING NOTE:
This deep purple wine shows peppery notes, along with ripe blackberries and blueberries. Smooth and medium bodied it has great balance and a lingering finish.

GRAPE:
Shiraz 100%.

COUNTRY:
India

REGION:
Maharashtra

SUB-REGION:
Nashik