Winemaker Notes
Blend: 100% Syrah
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Inviting aromas of plums, black cherries, blueberries and black pepper. Medium-bodied with slightly tight tannins. Juicy and expressive with good tension. Will open up even more with time, but already very tasty.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Showing its youthful demeanor with a fresh, dark, red-fruited core, the 2020 Syrah is bright and firm. Medium to full-bodied, the palate offers an expressive tannic grip that drives the mouthfeel, expressing fresh plum skin and black cherry flavors alongside a delightful floral essence in the mouth. The wine glides to a firm and spicy finish and will remain food-friendly for years. Bravo!
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Wine Spectator
A fresh, polished red, dark and enticing, with a pretty waft of violet on the nose, a deep, savory base note of iron and mineral, plus a lovely range of blackberry paste, black cherry reduction, herbes de Provence and milled pepper and spice accents. The finish is firmed by supple, fine-grained tannins. Drink now through 2030.
Marked by an unmistakable deep purple hue and savory aromatics, Syrah makes an intense, powerful and often age-worthy red. Native to the Northern Rhône, Syrah achieves its maximum potential in the steep village of Hermitage and plays an important component in the Red Rhône Blends of the south, adding color and structure to Grenache and Mourvèdre. Syrah is the most widely planted grape of Australia and is important in California and Washington. Sommelier Secret—Such a synergy these three create together, the Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre trio often takes on the shorthand term, “GSM.”
Literally meaning "the black land," Swartland takes its name from the endangered, indigenous "renosterbos" (translating to rhino bush), which used to be plentiful enough to turn the entire landscape a dark color certain during times of year. The district, attracting some of the most adventurous and least interventionist winemakers, excels in robust and full-bodied reds as well as quality fortified wines.