Alvi’s Drift 221 Special Cuvee

The History

In 1928, the All-Black rugby team, known as the “invincibles” was unassailable. They
arrived on the shores of South Africa aboard the Warratah after completing an undefeated
tour of the British Colonies and France- expecting to continue this record.
The rugby world was rocked when a young, unknown, 19-year old Albertus Viljoen van der
Merwe, “Alvi” to his friends, scored the first try in history against the All-blacks on African
soil.

Our Charismatic founder gripped the world’s imagination by scoring this try and went on to
be selected as the 221st player to play for the South African national rugby team, “ the
Springboks”.
This Springbok team, with Alvi in their ranks, turned the tide on the “invincibles” and toured
the UK and Europe undefeated.
Alvi’s farm, in Worcester, South Africa has continued this winning legacy, remaining family
owned since its inception, producing world-class wines that deliver exceptional quality and
value. With the 221 range, we pay tribute to Alvi and Springbok winning team.

The Grapes
The wine is made entirely from estate grown grapes, hand selected in the early morning to
ensure that cool, optimally ripe bunches are delivered to the winery. Grape varieties used
for the 221 Special Cuvee: Shiraz; Cabernet Sauvignon; Pinotage; Durif; Petit Verdot;
Grenache; Viognier.

Vinification
This vintage was characterized by low yields due to heavy frost and a severe drought
affecting South Africa’s wine producing areas. Despite the challenges, this has resulted in
optimally ripe, intensely fruit driven grapes from well-established vines. These hand
selected grapes were de-stemmed and each variety vinified separately. The grapes were
fermented in Roto-tanks to ensure ultimate skin contact for perfect colour and flavor.
Certain varieties were selected for Barrel maturation in French and American oak barrels
and the balance of the red wines were fermented in stainless steel tanks. A harmonious
blend was then made of barrel matured and fresh, fruit driven red wines from the tanks are
then carefully blended to complete the red cuvee.

The Wine
221 Special Cuvee is a fruit driven shiraz-based blend. A multi-layered aromatic wine, it
reflects a rich, ripe fruit character of plums and red cherries with hints of spice and
liquorice. The juicy red berry entry and velvety soft tannins create a beautifully balanced
wine delivering an opulent mouth feel with a long red fruit finish.

Analysis
RS-4.8 Alc-13.56 % TA-5.8 pH-3.43