Eight Gates, Cinsault, Breedekloof, 2024

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Eight Gates, Cinsault, Breedekloof, 2024

This is from a four hectare plot on Carlo’s home farm in Breedekloof. 50% whole bunch fermentation, aged for nine months in oak barrels of varied ages and sizes. Slightly darker and more full-bodied than the Cecilia Cinsault, it has bramble, dark cherry and violet fruit alongside notes of dried wild herbs – the locals would term this ‘fynbos’ and it is similar to the ‘garrigue’ notes of the Languedoc. A serious Cinsault that will take on venison or other game beautifully. 13%. No –2031

Eight Gates is all about Kolja Stürmer and Carlo Suter, two friends who met over thirty years ago while attending the German International School in Cape Town. Kolja went on to a have a career in finance, Carlo stayed closer to home on his family farm in Breedekloof becoming a viticulturalist, winemaker and cooper, supplying several famous winemakers such as Peter Walser of BlankBottle with exceptional fruit. The pair always said they’d launch their own wines one day, and a couple of years ago they finally got round to it.

The grapes are sourced from the Suter family farm plus other parcels the boys have secured in exciting wine regions such as Tulbagh and the Polkadraai Hills. Each one is made in minute quantities. One of the secrets of the wine’s success is the oak. Carlo’s background as a cooper led him to work with the tiny Mittelberger co-operative in the Dolomites in Italy. He had searched Europe for the oak he wanted for his wine and this was it. He even goes over each year to identify specific trees for future barrels and to make some of the Eight Gate casks himself. The Mittelberger casks do seem to have properties unlike the more traditional French and American oaks, adding texture more than flavour, integrating superbly into the wines.