R1,250.00 Member priceR1,000.00
Cyril Back 2023 is Fairview’s flagship Shiraz, named after Charles Back’s father. This limited release comes from a careful selection of the vintage’s best barrels. Bold yet elegant, it offers dark fruit, warm spice and firm tannins, with excellent ageing potential.
ACCOLADES
Bright burgundy in the glass, Cyril Back 2023 has intense aromas of dark berries and plums. A hint of prune and warm spice adds depth. The palate is rich and full-bodied, with dark fruit and firm tannins. Elegant yet bold, the wine already shows beautifully in its youth. However, careful cellaring for five to eight years will allow it to develop further.
Cyril Back 2023 holds a special place in the Fairview range. Named after Charles Back’s father, Cyril, it brings together the best vineyard sites and careful winemaking. The 2023 vintage is particularly distinctive, as the team crafted it from 100% Shiraz with no Cabernet Sauvignon.
The Shiraz comes from selected sites in Darling and Paarl. A cool, dryland bush vine vineyard in Darling contributes to the blend. Meanwhile, fruit from a warmer Paarl site brings its own spicy character. The team regularly tastes and checks the grapes to choose the ideal picking time.
In the cellar, the team hand-sorts the fruit and ferments each vineyard batch separately in open oak foudres. Natural fermentation starts the process, with manual punch-downs twice a day. Afterwards, the wine moves to French oak barrels. It spends 19 months in a mix of new, second and third-fill barrels. Finally, only ten barrels make the final Cyril Back selection.