Drink it now or cellar for up to 10 years. No need to decant.
Created by Etienne Louw and Brenden Schwartz in 2015, Orpheus & The Raven is an innovative and creative South African wine project. The company has a fresh and modern approach that includes using labels to tell its story and vision and produces high-quality wines with artistic inspiration. Music also plays an important role, as Etienne is both a winemaker and a musician, and each wine comes with musical and food pairing suggestions.
Like many of the Orpheus and The Raven wines, Swansong is also a wine based on a concept, in this case, the art of living in the present. Each year it is made with a different grape variety because the choice falls on vineyards that will then be uprooted after the harvest. Gewurztraminer grapes, grown on cool south-facing slopes in the Stellenbosch area, are mechanically harvested early in the morning to ensure freshness. After fermentation at low temperatures with selected yeasts, the finished wine rests for 9 months on the lees before being bottled and released onto the market.
The Swansong Gewurztraminer has a bright color with intense golden tones. It is an aromatic wine with an inebriating bouquet distinguished by characteristic spicy and floral aromas typical of this grape variety with notes of lychee and Turkish delight. On the palate, it is elegant and complex with good fruit intensity and a soft and warm character. The finish is long and recalls delicate floral and fruity notes. It is the ideal wine for spicy recipes, especially Indian and Thai cuisine, and also goes very well with sushi.
Orpheus & The Raven The Swansong Gewurztraminer 2023
INCL
20%
VAT
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Earn 1 reward point for every €1 you spend, valid for 80 days from the date of purchase. Redeem your points on your next order; 20 points equal €1 off.
Orpheus & The Raven The Swansong Gewurztraminer 2023
- 2023
- 750ml
- White
- 13.5%
- Gewurztraminer
- Gewurztraminer
- Orpheus & The Raven
- Western Cape
- South Africa
- Vintage: 2023
- Size: 750ml
- Type: White
- Alcohol: 13.5%
- Varietal: Gewurztraminer
- Grapes: Gewurztraminer
- Winery: Orpheus & The Raven
- Region: Western Cape
- Country: South Africa
- Vintage: 2023
- Size: 750ml
- Type: White
- Alcohol: 13.5%
- Varietal: Gewurztraminer
- Grapes: Gewurztraminer
- Winery: Orpheus & The Raven
- Region: Western Cape
- Country: South Africa
The company has a fresh and modern approach that includes using labels to tell its story and vision and produces high-quality wines with artistic inspiration. Like many of the Orpheus and The Raven wines, Swansong is also a wine based on a concept, in this case, the art of living in the present. Each year it is made with a different grape variety because the choice falls on vineyards that will then be uprooted after the harvest. The Swansong Gewurztraminer has a bright color with intense golden tones. It is an aromatic wine with an inebriating bouquet distinguished by characteristic spicy and floral aromas typical of this grape variety with notes of lychee and Turkish delight. On the palate, it is elegant and complex with good fruit intensity and a soft and warm character
INCL
20%
VAT
Get 17 reward points
By making a purchase, you accumulate reward points that remain valid for a period of 80 days starting from the date they were earned. To check your current balance, you can access your account by logging in. If you have any inquiries concerning your account or any other issue, please don't hesitate to contact us.
Orpheus & The Raven The Swansong Gewurztraminer 2023
As someone who has been ordering wine online regularly (22 orders and dozens of bottles since 2022), I have long appreciated 8Wines for offering access to interesting international labels and boutique styles that aren’t always readily available locally. However, a platform's true character isn't revealed when everything goes right; it's tested when a high-value bottle arrives compromised, and that is where 8Wines falls remarkably short. Over the last few years, I’ve spent well over €3,500 with 8Wines. When you spend consistently on a platform, you expect a baseline of mutual trust, especially when purchasing premium bottles where structural integrity is everything. Unfortunately, encountering damaged or flawed bottles on two separate occasions has brought to light a rigid, customer-unfriendly claims policy. A bottle of Susana Balbo Signature Malbec arrived completely cooked and oxidized. Despite detailing the structural defects, the customer service team deflected responsibility, demanded unreasonable layers of proof, and ultimately offered reward points rather than issuing a proper refund or replacement. One year later, another bottle, this time a high-end wine - the Caymus California Cabernet Sauvignon arrived leaking in the box with visible stain traces under the capsule. Upon opening, the cork failure was undeniable, and the wine showed the distinct, flat overcooked notes of premature oxidation rather than its intended opulent fruit profile. Instead of acknowledging that cork failure and transport leakage, the 8Wines’ support team engaged in gaslighting. They attempted to lecture about the "jammy profile of the Wagner family." They argued that a leaking, stained bottle with a dry cork and premature oxidation was normal. Rather than standing behind the quality of their high-end stock, 8Wines offered a standard deflection playbook: no blame accepted, no refund given, and a small allocation of reward points thrown in as an appeasement. For a loyal customer who has spent thousands on the platform, being compensated with virtual points for a cooked, expensive wine is a disappointing resolution. Final Verdict 8Wines has an attractive catalogue and smooth shipping logistics when bottles survive the trip intact. But if you gamble on buying expensive, premium bottles here, be aware that you carry all the financial risk. If a cork fails or a bottle cooks in transit, don't expect a refund, expect a corporate email trying to convince you that flawed wine is just part of the "winemaker's style," followed by a handful of reward points to close the ticket, that if you insist upon, otherwise you will be left empty handed. Moving forward, I will reserve my purchases for everyday, lower-risk bottles, and buy any high-end, premium investments strictly from physical storefronts where visual inspection and immediate returns are actually honored.