Syrah

The 2021 vintage marks a stylistic jump from what was previously labelled a Shiraz. It is a culmination of years of experimentation and benchmarking in the winery, specifically aimed at modernizing our Syrah-offering. That meant incorporating techniques such as whole bunch fermentation, re-addition of mature stems into the fermentation tank and changing our oak regime to feature lighter toasting and less time in barrel. The result is a generous wine that is packed with flavour, both on the bouquet and palate. Upfront aromas of white pepper and juicy black berries are beautifully balanced with a hint of violets on the palate. The plush mouthfeel is underpinned by delicate and well-integrated oak. The end is fresh and lingering with an aftertaste of black pepper. With careful cellaring this wine could be enjoyed now or over the next 8 years.

The fruit for this wine was sourced from our own vineyards with a few selected parcels from other Stellenbosch blocks. Most of these vineyards are grown on shale-rich soils, exceptionally well-suited to producing quality Syrah. The spring of 2020 was marked by frequent cold fronts, delaying bud burst by 5-7 days. Temperatures remained moderate during the summer, resulting in a two-week delay in the start of the harvest compared to preceding vintages. The viticultural and winemaking team had to wait patiently for the grapes to reach phenolic ripeness. The prolonged ripening meant the grapes had an intense concentration of flavours at harvest time, promising great wines with excellent aging potential.

All the vineyard blocks were harvested and vinified separately. During fermentation the juice was pumped over regularly for optimum colour and flavour extraction. After fermentation, only the free-run wine was transferred to barrel for malolactic fermentation. The wine was matured for 18 months in a combination of first (30%), second (30%) and third fill (40%) 300L French oak barrels before the various components were blended and prepared for bottling.