2021 Boekenhoutskloof Syrah

Full bottle 1,362 g. Grapes for our Boekenhoutskloof Syrah are picked from parcels in Porseleinberg (90%) and Goldmine (10%), close to the small town of Riebeek-Kasteel. The Porseleinberg vineyards are planted on an extremely hard and rocky bedrock of decomposed mica schist. The vineyards on Goldmine sit on the south-west slopes of the Kasteelberg and comprise brown schist with deposits of Table Mountain sandstone, which is weathered and washed from the adjacent mountain. Hand-harvested and transported to Boekenhoutskloof in Franschhoek for vinification. Grapes were cooled in a cold room, then transferred to tulip-shaped concrete tanks for fermentation. A combination of partially destemmed and whole-bunch (65%) clusters fermented spontaneously with minimal sulphite additions and no acidification. A soft délestage was performed 2–3 times per day. Once maceration is complete, the skins are basket pressed and the wine is gravity-fed into traditional 2,500-litre Austrian oak foudres and 600-litre demi-muids for further ageing of up to 18 months. Deep garnet. Openly floral and peppery, intensely aromatic, you might even call it 'pretty' except that there is also a suggestion of Syrah's savoury character, and lots of non-sweet black fruit at the core. On the palate, there's a touch of oak sweetness but it is mostly clean-edged and aromatic fruit, the tannins remarkably smooth already and elegantly fine-grained. Pure and deliciously dry on the long finish. Medium-bodied and really elegant. (JH)

Given that 90% of its raw material comes from Porseleinberg - the other 10% comes from Boekenhoutskloof’ s Roundstone property - it's no surprise that this is such an impressive Syrah. Fermented with 65% whole bunches, it combines fynbos, lavender and Asian spice aromas with a palate of white pepper, barbecued meat, oregano and blackberry framed by sappy, granular tannins. World class.

The 2021 Syrah was picked later than the 2020. It contains more whole bunches than prior vintages (65%) and matured for 18 months, 90% in Stockinger foudre and Stockinger demi-muids . This is quite concentrated on the nose with dark berry fruit, bay leaf and white pepper, perhaps less floral than some of its peers. The aromatics feel tightly coiled at the moment. The palate is smooth and harmonious on the entry, with a fine structure. It is compact at the moment with cracked black and white pepper and garrigues notes flourishing toward the persistent finish. Much more backward than expected, I would cellar this for three to five years before cracking open as it's a serious Syrah.