Ελληνικά
This “aristocratic” variety which comes from Rhone Valley in southern France, grows perfectly in the Cypriot vineyards.
Vlassides Shiraz, one of Cyprus’ favourite red, is a prime example of this variety.
This is a rich wine with soft tannins. The grapes come from non-irrigated vineyards in Kilani, Vouni and Pachna.
The wine matures in oak barrels.
With the potential to evolve further for up to ten years.
Best served at 16-18°C.
Award
Year of Harvest
Silver Medal
23rd Thessaloniki International Wine Competition 2023
2020
Silver Medal
13th International Cyprus Wine Competition 2022
2020
Gold Medal
12th International Cyprus Wine Competition 2019
2017
Gold Medal
11th International Cyprus Wine Competition 2018
2016
Bronze Medal
Decanter World Wine Awards 2018
2016
Bronze Medal
Decanter World Wine Awards 2017
2015
Silver Medal
9th International Cyprus Wine Competition 2016
2014
Silver Medal
7th International Cyprus Wine Competition 2012
2010
Silver Medal
5th International Cyprus Wine Competition 2010
2008
Shiraz Vlassides
Varieties:
100% Shiraz
Soil Composition:
Calcareous
50% Sand
30% Clay
20% Silt
Vinification:
The harvest takes place at the end of August. Extraction of phenolic substances lasts from seven to ten days. After the malolactic fermentation, the wine matures in French oak barrels for twelve months.
Organoleptic Characteristics:
- Color: Deep red.
- Aroma: The sense of smell travels you to an orchard farm filled with black cherries, to a wild rocky place with windswept plants and herbs, to a forest full of ripe black berries, to your neighborhood pastry shop which is packed with aromas of vanilla and dark chocolate. The aromatic journey ends in a wine cellar with oak barrels, where spices dominate.
- Taste: Due to the special conditions of this particular year, Shiraz Vlassides 2021 presents an excellent concentration in the mouth, where together with its ripe tannins and its full body, it confirms its aromatic complexity and generously provides its long aftertaste.
- Ability to age for another 8 to 10 years.
Harvest Information 2021:
| Ethanol: | 15,18% Vol |
| pH: | 3,41 |
| Total Acidity (H2SO4): |
3,8 g/l |
| Reducing Sugars: | 1 g/l |
| Rainfall: October until July | 547mm |
| Harvest Temperatures (Μ.Α.) | |
| Lowest: | 19,5°C – (8/2021) |
| Highest: | 35°C – (8/2021) |
2021 Harvest:
2021 harvest, was an average year for the winery’s international varieties and a relatively late year for our indigenous varieties. Because of these reasons, there was a dose of truth in the joke we made to each other when we were receiving the grapes, that the 2021 harvest was actually two harvests in one! But, let’s see in detail the factors that played a decisive role in the 2021 harvest.
The total amount of rainfall in our area for the period of October 2020 to July 2021, was quite low (about 545mm of rain). The month with the most rainfall was January 2021 (264mm rain). The last rainfall took place on April 10, 2021. In terms of average minimum and maximum temperatures throughout the vegetation period, they were higher than in 2020, with the exception of September 2021, which justifies the partial later ripening in the native varieties.
The phenological stages in the 2021 harvest were as follows:
- Bud-break: First 10 days of April
- Flowering: First 10 days of May
- Veraison: In mid-July
- Ripening period – Harvest: Early August to mid-October
Some of the conclusions that emerged were that the intense abiotic stress from the high temperatures of May, accelerated flowering and reduced production due to a lower degree of fruit set. The increased temperatures of July and August yielded a rapid ripening of healthy grapes. The lower temperatures, especially during the evenings, helped the smooth phenolic maturation of the red varieties.
Each harvest season, the team at Vlassides winery aim to produce wines with the typicality of each variety. However, the aromatic and flavorful expression of the same variety, in different sub-regions, often differs. This is due to differences in soil-climatic conditions, the living environment and the adapted human activities and situations.
Testing the white wines from the tanks and barrels from specific vineyards of the same varieties after the end of the alcoholic fermentations, we found to a large extent the difference between them. When it comes to our wines which are intended for blend (eg. Grifos 2, Sauvignon blanc, Alates), this gave an additional boost in regards to the aromas and taste.
Right now, the winery’s red wines show a balance between alcohol, acidity and body, which is complemented by the intense phenolic load. Special mention should be made of the Shiraz of 2021, which due to the significantly reduced production of grapes, the wine presents an excellent concentration. In general, we hope to have red wines of deep aging, which were developed from the very good vintage of 2021.