Wine: 2008 Syrah
Bottling Date: 28th January 2009
Production: 15 600 bottles / 1 300 cases
Wine of Origin: Swartland
Our aim with our Syrah is to give true and complete expression to the Shale, Schist and Granite terriors in which the vines grow.
Tasting Note: This perfumed Syrah has notes of black pepper, refined black fruit, smoke and herbs. The palate is full bodied and spicy, with a silky texture and a balanced natural acidity. The long finish is fresh and surprisingly long and supple. Best served at 16 to 18 C, this wine will greatly benifit from decanting when drunk within the first 3 to 5 years after bottling.
Accolades: 90/100 The Wine Spectator (James Molesworth); 93/100 Jamie Goode; 4.5 Stars - The 2010 Platters Wine Guide; 91/100 The Wine Gang (Tim Atkin, Anthony Rose, Joanna Simon, Tom Cannavan & Oli Smith).
Technical Details at Bottling:
Alcohol 14,5%
Extract 31,0 g/l
Residual Sugar 1,6 g/l
Total Acidity 5,6 g/l
Volatile Acidity 0,65
Free SO2 35 ppm
pH 3,85
Source of Grapes: Grapes for our 2008 Syrah come from six vineyard parcels in different parts of the Swartland: Three parcels planted in the stony Shale and Schist based soils of Riebeek Kasteel Mountain; two parcels of dry land bushvines grown in the decomposed Granite of the Paardeberg Mountain; and one on the rolling, clay & iron-rich soils west of Malmesbury. Vines are aged between 12 and 18 years.
Date(s) Harvested: Grapes were harvested between the 7th and 28th February 2008.
Yields: Between 4 to 6 tons/ha = 24 to 33 HL/ha.
Winemaking: Hand-picked grapes are cooled in our cold room, whereafter they are crushed and destemmed to tank, and between 5 to 25% whole bunches are added. 25ppm SO2 is added, and as with all our wines, no other additions are made. The must is initially pigeaged once a day. After about 4 days, fermentation begins with indigenous yeasts, and the wine is pigeaged once or twice a day, depending on extract and tannin development. Temperatures are not allowed to exceed 30 degrees Centigrade. Fermentation lasts from 7 to 10 days, and after fermentation, an additional 2 to 4 weeks (also depending on tannin development) skin contact is given. The wine is then drained and pressed to barrel for malolactic fermentation and maturation. The different parcels are racked in Spring to blend the wine, which is then returned to barrel and bottled unfiltered and unfined after 11 months in barrel. Please decant (or give time in the glass!) when drunk young.
Maturation: 11 months in a combination of very tight French oak 225L barriques and 500L demi muids. 15% new.