Winemaker Notes
The nose is aromatic and perfumed, with concentrated notes of raspberries and cherries and hints of chamomile flower and fynbos. The complex nose follows through with spicy undertones of cloves
and white pepper. The palate is fresh and vibrant with great tannic structure and a long finish. Layers of red fruit and spices, with savory notes in the background, give you wine that is well-balanced and will drink well from now until 2022.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2015 Syrah comes all from organically farmed vineyards and granite soils. It has a distinctly northern Rhône-like style in its smoked black fruits, floral, tapenade, and white pepper aromas and flavors. Deep, smoky, and downright gamey, with medium to full-bodied richness, it has building tannin, nicely integrated acidity, and a great finish. Give bottles another year or two and it should keep for a decade. It’s beautiful, old-school Syrah that has real character. It’s also a great value.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2015 Syrah, which comes from granite soils and biodynamically cultivated vines, has a tightly wound but pure bouquet at first with blueberry, boysenberry, iris and incense. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, very good backbone, a fine bead of acidity with black fruit infused with truffle, clove, white pepper and a touch of rosemary. I love the length here, the freshness and complexity, a Syrah with a long future ahead. This is stunning value.
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Decanter
A rich dense Syrah with white pepper and lemon juice. Charcoal and mocha undertones come through on a long impressive finish. Drinking Window 2017 - 2023
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.”
With an important wine renaissance in full swing, impressive red and white bargains abound in South Africa. The country has a particularly long and rich history with winemaking, especially considering its status as part of the “New World.” In the mid-17th century, the lusciously sweet dessert wines of Constantia were highly prized by the European aristocracy. Since then, the South African wine industry has experienced some setbacks due to the phylloxera infestation of the late 1800s and political difficulties throughout the following century.
Today, however, South Africa is increasingly responsible for high-demand, high-quality wines—a blessing to put the country back on the international wine map. Wine production is mainly situated around Cape Town, where the climate is generally warm to hot. But the Benguela Current from Antarctica provides brisk ocean breezes necessary for steady ripening of grapes. Similarly, cooler, high-elevation vineyard sites throughout South Africa offer similar, favorable growing conditions.
South Africa’s wine zones are divided into region, then smaller districts and finally wards, but the country’s wine styles are differentiated more by grape variety than by region. Pinotage, a cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsault, is the country’s “signature” grape, responsible for red-fruit-driven, spicy, earthy reds. When Pinotage is blended with other red varieties, like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah or Pinot Noir (all commonly vinified alone as well), it is often labeled as a “Cape Blend.” Chenin Blanc (locally known as “Steen”) dominates white wine production, with Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc following close behind.