Syrah

The fruit for the Boekenhoutskloof Syrah comes 90% from the Porseleinberg farm and 10% from Goldmine. This is a spicy, nuanced Syrah with around two thirds whole bunch that was vinified in concrete before ageing in large foudres and 500 litre barrels. There are aromas of cracked pepper, roast beef, with a fleshy and rounded feel to the bramble fruit. The tannins are ripe but well defined adding tension to the finish. An excellent effort and another great Syrah from Gottfried.

A beautifully classic nose of violets, pepper and dark cherry fruit. The peppery spice is equally present on the palate with accents of grilled herbs adding layers of complexity to the ripe plum fruit. Juniper spice and violets lift from the glass while the supple frame of tannins adds tension through the finish.

The second vintage of this new Syrah made by Chris Alheit, as part of a partnership between the Fogwell and Alheit families. The grapes come from two sites, one in the Swartland on shist soils and one in the Polkadraai from granite. This is a peppery, red berry fruited Syrah that is beautifully perfumed. Fine, detailed and supple, it is a beautiful red that will age effortlessly.

With fruit sourced from the Karibib farm in the Polkadraai hills of Stellenbosch Jean Smit uses around 75% whole bunch on this wine. It is an extremely expressive and pure style of Syrah with notes of wild berries, warm rocks and fresh hedgerow fruit. With air, notes of iris, pepper, rhubarb and wild thyme lift from the glass. There is a brightness and focus through the wine with fine-grained and detailed tannin with a fine violet and liquorice note on the finish. Extremely fine.

Fermented with 50% whole bunch, the Syrah on Sandstone has enticing aromatics of dried violets, dark cherry, and black olive tapenade. There is fleshiness to the mid-palate with a supple, fine-grained feel to the tannins. A great effort this year.

From Stellenboschberg, this is from a West facing site that is a little more rocky in terms of soil. There are flavours of wild herbs, warm rocks, earth and black tea that lift from the dark hedgerow fruit. Sappy and tense through the palate, there are notes of violets and graphite through the finish.

From slightly warmer Helderberg soils of clay rich in iron, there is a ferrous quality to the wine with notes of dark cherry, beef stock, sundried tomato and violets. The tannin is fine and sinewy with an accent of black olive tapenade on the finish.

There are a total of 6 hectares of Syrah planted on the farm and this Syrah is a blend of different plots. There is ripe dark cherry fruit but then the wine shows real elegance and restraint through the palate. Silky, fluid and poised there are notes of iris, black pepper and liquorice that mingle with the dark cherry fruit.

Fermented with 50% whole bunch, this is a beautifully detailed Syrah with notes of wild thyme, juniper and hedgerow fruit. There is a subtle note of warm earth, dark cherry and tapenade too with a brightness and precision running through the core of the wine. So fine and elegant, this is another knockout wine from Sam O'Keefe.

Always one of the Cape's greatest Syrahs, the fruit for this wine is sourced from a parcel on the Karibib farm. It was matured in 87% concrete and 13% second fill barrels. Peppery, floral and beautifully defined, this is a virtuosic Syrah that gives notes of tapenade, dark cherry fruit with a fine, sinewy grip of tannins on the finish.

A blend of Syrah with 6% Grenache, High Hopes is 100% whole cluster fermented. There are ripe blue fruits, white pepper and fynbos notes which lift from the glass. This is a bold wine full of energy that shows a core of warm rocks, and a ferrous, iodine character which beautifully balances the fruit.

No Place Like Home comes from a beautiful 3 hectare site in one of South Africa's coolest areas, Elgin. From a mix of sandstone and shale this is a wine that has a real aromatic lift with aromas of pepper, black tea and iris. The palate is finely texture with dark cherry fruit and freshness pulsing through the wine. The finish is so long and balanced with a little hint of seaweed and kelp.

Coming from Elim, this is a vibrant and extremely elegant style of Syrah which has been aged 60% in concrete vats. The wine opens with notes of wild herbs, white pepper, and fresh cherry with a saline core with excellent focus and tension. There is a subtle savoury note with pepper finish that is so delicious. An excellent set of 2024s from Sam.

A blend of fruit from three sources: Elgin, Polkadraai Hills, and Cape Agulhas. This is a medium bodied, highly perfumed Syrah with notes of violets, pepper, and wild cherry fruit. So approachable yet showing lots of complexity, there are flavours of liquorice root and wild herbs on the finish. Another great success from the young Sam Lambson.

While this is the 'entry' Syrah from Mullineux, it is anything but in the glass. Offering remarkable freshness and energy, this is a classic Syrah with flavours of blue fruits, violets, tapenade and black pepper. The palate is fleshy and ripe with fine, ripe tannin and layers of spicy complexity on the finish.

From similar soils to those found in Côte Rôtie, the Schist Syrah is always the showstopper of the Mullineux range. Wonderfully graceful and poised with aromatics of black pepper, wild herbs, fennel seed, and liquorice root. There is a fine balance between floral, spicy, and savoury here with layers of complexity. Well-defined hedgerow fruit floods the palate with fine, supple tannins gaining in momentum through the palate. Extremely impressive.

From Jakkalsfontein farm, this is a dense and muscular Syrah with obvious similarities to Cornas in style. Peppery and with notes of black olive the palate shows dark black cherry fruit, notes of grilled meat and a spicy accent of wild herbs on the finish.

Opening with crushed pepper, warm rocks and smoked meat there is a refinement to this wine with flavours of black cherry and plum. This is a wine that does not shy away from structure with firm, sinewy tannins that ably frame the fruit. A classical feel to the wine, with more complexity revealing itself with time. A wine of real potential.

A wine that seems to capture all the beautiful flavours of whole bunches of raw Syrah. Dripping with bramble fruit, the nose shows notes of pepper, violets and tapenade. This is a beautifully understated yet so complete style of Syrah that will give the most classical wines of the Northern Rhône a run for their money.

This Syrah from Reyneke is around a third whole bunch fermented, a third submerged cap fermented, and a third crushed and destemmed fruit. It is refined and spicy, with delicious and classic Syrah aromatics of wild herbs, lavender, black pepper and black olive. The palate is fleshy but still so elegant with juicy dark berry fruit and a peppery spice on the finish. Very classic and certainly reminds you of a young Cornas.

A bright and vertical style of cool climate Syrah that offers floral complexity of white pepper, violets and fresh earth. There is a Pinot like energy to the wine, while the supple tannins and peppery spice make this a distinctive cool climate Syrah. Extremely fine and detailed.

A superb example of cool-climate Syrah showing notes of tomato leaf, red cherry, wild thyme and white pepper. There is some flesh to the hedgerow fruit to the mid-palate while remaining bright and lifted. The finish is long and vibrant with a peppery twist.

Lots of pepper spice here, which supports the core of dark berries and floral, violet-tinged character to the wine. This is nicely judged, and easily approachable, from a future star of the South African wine industry. Tiny production.