La Motte has been one of the Cape most consistent Shiraz producer, yet has always kept a low profile, with considerable effort, fine tuning over the last 13 years, since Edmund Terblanche, cellarmaster, joined the winery, has prove this to be one of the few that not only have very good ageing potential, but kept a real classicism feel to the overall offerings.
This 2008 is only starting to show it's full potential now, with barely a sign of evolution, ruby red with slight garnet hue towards the rim and considering the 2008 vintage was not so ideal as a whole across South Africa, the color is holding very well indeed.
Clean, pure and focus with bright perfectly ripe plums, mulberries and dark red fruits medley, spicy, just the right level of peppery spices, subtle integrated oaking, hints of leather and Darjeeling tea leaf complexity, layered and as diverse as the source of the grapes, with 2008 being a judicious blend of Walker Bay (29%), Swartland (27%), Paarl (26%) and Elim (18%)
Dry with bright juicy fruit, yet subtle, fresh with moderate plus acidity, linear, textured ripe tannin adding almost a chalky crunch, medium bodied with moderate plus alcohol of 13.5% abv, there is elegance and structured finesse, long and persistent, now until 2019
