Fairview 'La Beryl Blanc' Dessert Wine 2016

Named in honour of Charles Back’s late mother, Beryl, comes a delectable and moorish sweet wine, boasting a mega 182g per litre of sugar. The very ripest of grapes are picked and set aside during the harvest to make the Le Beryl Blanc. Then, the grapes are left to dry on beds of straw, which gives this wine the name ‘Straw Wine’, a very popular sweet wine style in the New World. Over 75% of the grape’s juice is lost during the drying process. Not all is lost though - as the drying process concentrates all the best flavours and sugars, so the intensity of this wine is incredible! Fairview estate dates back to 1902, when an immigrant of Lithuania set up camp in Paarl, also called Charles Back. However, this Charles Back has become a local cult legend. He begun introducing Mediterranean grapes such as Viognier, Tempranillo, Sangiovese and Petite Sirah to the Cape when he took over form his father in the 90s. He also began to make artisanal cheese - a business that has gone on to become every bit as prestigious and successful as wine. In 2014, when Charles received the International Wine Challenge Lifetime Achievement, in his characteristic humility, he expressed “But I have barely begun to achieve what I want to achieve!”.

Tasting Note: Luscious honey and exotic stone fruits like pineapple, guava and papaya are evident in this incredible bottle. A keen acidity keeps the wine fresh, but you can definitely feel the sweetness on the palate.

The Perfect Serve: Serve ice cold in small desert wine glasses, enjoy with food equally sweet (baked apple pie for instance), spicy Asian cuisine or salty blue cheese.