Down to the soil

IN ANDREW JEFFORD’S column (February 2018 issue) he makes the revolutionary suggestion that ‘the lineaments of flavour are made in the air rather than the soil...’

in south africa’s swartland, winemaker andrea mullineux makes three versions of shiraz from old, unirrigated vineyards. one block is in decomposed granite, one in stony, schist soil and the third in red, iron-rich soils. all three are top-quality versions of shiraz but each has a different flavour profile. surely this is a clear example of the difference soil makes?

also consider the care taken by winemakers to select the cooper whose barrels they believe best suit their wine – the oak from allier or nevers forests, for example, are each different in what they impart. Stephen Flesch, Gourmet Wine Tours of South Africa