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Doran Vineyards Incipio Shiraz / Chenin Blanc is a South African red wine blend from the Voor-Paardeberg wine-growing region. This innovative blend combines the area’s most iconic light and dark varietals – Chenin Blanc and Shiraz – and is aptly named “Incipio,” meaning “begin” in Latin.
Primarily composed of Shiraz with a touch of Chenin Blanc, this wine offers a South African interpretation of the classic Côte-Rôtie style. On the nose, there are fresh red fruit aromas with a spicy undertone and subtle hints of violet, whilst the palate is creamy, with light touches of peach and honey on the finish.
Co-fermentation: 15% whole bunch Chenin Blanc fermented together with 85% de-stemmed Shiraz
Fermentation: Natural (wild) yeast fermentation
Skin contact: Eight weeks on the skins after fermentation
Racking: Racked directly, without pressing
Barrel ageing: 12 months in old 500-litre barrels
Doran Vineyards is located on the Far Horizons Farm in the Voor-Paardeberg wine region, situated between Paarl and Riebeek Kasteel, with the town of Wellington just 15 minutes away. Voor-Paardeberg is a small but distinctive wine-growing area within the wider Paarl district, earning its own Wine of Origin (WO) status in 2006. The region experiences an intense, dry Mediterranean climate with very little summer rainfall, meaning dry farming is widely practised. Cooling Atlantic sea breezes play a crucial role in tempering the summer heat, helping grapes retain freshness and balance as they ripen.
Doran Vineyards was founded by Irish entrepreneur Edwin Doran, whose connection with South Africa stretches back to 1981. Edwin built a highly successful sports tour business bringing visitors to the country, which he sold to TUI Travel Plc in 2008. Two years later, he purchased the 179-hectare Far Horizons Farm with his partner André Badenhorst and immediately committed to a R50 million investment programme to develop the wine estate.
In 2019, Edwin’s son Tom joined the business, bringing a new generation of family commitment to the estate’s continued growth and the production of minimal intervention, focussed, South African boutique wines.
The Vineyards
The first vines at Far Horizons were planted in 1995, establishing five red varieties, including Pinotage and Syrah, with Grenache and Durif added in the years that followed. Three white varieties – Chenin Blanc, Grenache Blanc and Roussanne – were introduced in 2011, broadening the South African wine estate’s range.
Today, the farm operates as both a premium wine estate and a working mixed farm, with arable land, Aberdeen Angus cattle and Île-de-France sheep alongside the vineyards.
Doran Vineyards Incipio offers a unique South African take on the classic Côte-Rôtie style, blending Shiraz primarily with a touch of Chenin Blanc. The nose reveals fresh red fruit aromas with spicy undertones and subtle violet hints, while the palate is creamy and smooth, finishing with light touches of peach and honey.
Try Doran Incipio with grilled lamb chops, a beef stew or with a pan-fried duck breast.
