Red is Her Colour

This Women’s Month, Bruce Jack Wines is celebrating women who bring confidence, colour and character to everything they do. Women who lead, create, inspire and make their mark in their own unmistakable way.
Two bold reds from the Bruce Jack Lifestyle range take centre stage: Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz. Generous, vibrant and full of personality, they feel like a fitting choice for a month dedicated to recognising strong South African women.

The Cabernet Sauvignon is rich with cassis, black fruit and soft, chocolatey tannins, while the Shiraz delivers ripe plum, pepper and spice. Two distinctive wines, both with plenty of presence and the same easy-going Bruce Jack spirit. “Women’s Month gives us an opportunity to recognise women who live with confidence, courage and individuality,” says Bruce Jack, winemaker and founder of Bruce Jack Wines. “There is no single definition of strength, just as there is no single type of woman worth celebrating. These two reds have their own distinct personalities, but both are bold, generous and completely comfortable being themselves.”

Two Reds with Serious History

Cabernet Sauvignon may be one of the world’s most recognisable red grapes, but it came from a rather unexpected pairing. DNA research traced its origins to a natural crossing between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in 17th-century France. It has since become the most widely planted wine grape in the world and is currently South Africa’s most planted red variety.
Shiraz, also known as Syrah, has its roots in France and is the offspring of two lesser-known varieties, Dureza and Mondeuse Blanche. Its first confirmed South African plantings were recorded at Groot Constantia towards the end of the 1890s. Today, it is South Africa’s second most planted red variety, sitting just behind Cabernet Sauvignon.
Plenty of history, then, but neither of these wines is stuck in the past.

Bruce Jack Lifestyle Cabernet Sauvignon

The Bruce Jack Lifestyle Cabernet Sauvignon is a classic Cape Cabernet with cassis, ripe black fruit and soft, chocolatey tannins.
Its shorter tasting note says it best: mint chocolate crunch with a twirl of blueberry.
The grapes are harvested early in the morning, while temperatures are still cool, before being crushed and destemmed. Fermentation takes place on the skins, with a combination of open and closed pump-overs used to build colour and flavour. The wine is then carefully blended, stabilised and filtered before bottling.
This is a Cabernet that knows exactly what it is, but does not feel the need to give a long speech about it.
Serve it with meat cooked over an open flame. A bone-in rib-eye steak seasoned simply with salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce and olive oil is difficult to beat. It can be enjoyed now or cellared in cool conditions for up to five years.

Bruce Jack Lifestyle Shiraz

South African Shiraz often finds a delicious middle ground between the generous, fruit-driven style associated with Australia’s Barossa Valley and the more restrained character of France’s Rhône region.

The Bruce Jack Lifestyle Shiraz is packed with raspberry, aromatic spice and ripe plum, followed by dark chocolate, black forest fruit and smooth tannins.
Or, to put it more simply: ripe plummy fruit with a grind of pepper.
The grapes are selected from vineyards across the Western Cape and harvested during the cool early morning. After destemming, they are fermented on the skins in a combination of open and closed tanks. Some parcels are hand-punched, while wild fermentation is encouraged where appropriate.
Open and closed pump-overs help extract colour while retaining a soft, juicy mouthfeel. The wine is then matured in a combination of stainless steel tanks and barrels before the final blend is put together.
Shiraz is a natural partner for a perfectly grilled, dry-aged rump steak, but it is far from a one-meal wine. Its smoky spice also works beautifully with Peking duck, veggie burgers, grilled mushrooms, rich pasta dishes and nutty cheeses.

World-Beating Value

The Bruce Jack Lifestyle range is built around a simple obsession: delivering world-beating value for money.
Fruit is sourced from specially identified vineyards across the Western Cape, bringing together grapes grown in different soils, climates and conditions. The blending team then does the important bit, combining those individual personalities to create wines with balance, complexity and plenty of deliciousness.
Because good wine should have character. It should have a story. It should make the meal better and the conversation longer.
It just does not need to make a fuss about it.

Exclusive to TOPS at Spar or online via www.brucejack.com