2020 Syrah, Boekenhoutskloof, Swartland

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. 2025-35

With 90% of the fruit coming from Porseleinberg and 10% from Goldmine, both in Swartland, this is a wondrous wine with more detail and finesse than any preceding vintage. Utilising only large foudre, the spice and fruit aromatics are as pure and evocative as I have encountered in a Cape Syrah. While the flavour palette is more deep purple than black-fruited, there is no obvious oak intervention and this allows the fruit to soar. Sanguineous and sappy on the finish, this is a glorious red wine with elemental animal notes interwoven with silky ribbons of beautifully ripe blackcurrant, mulberry and plum flavours. With the same texture and volume of fruit as a Vosne-Romanée, this is a regal creation that distances itself from the meat and muscle often found in sun-loving Syrahs!

The 2020 Syrah Boekenhoutskloof is the first vintage under 14% alcohol. It utilizes 60% whole bunches with natural ferment in concrete vats and aged for 18 months mainly in Stockinger foudres. It has a cool but focused bouquet that gains intensity with aeration: blackcurrants, bilberry, pressed iris flower and a pinch of Provençal herbs. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, sappy and beautifully balanced, gently building towards a voluminous, almost Côte-Rôtie-like finish. One of the best Syrahs that I have tasted from Boekenhoutskloof in a while.

The 2020 Syrah is a 90/10 cuvée of grapes from the Porseleinberg and Goldmine properties and is another triumphant release from Marc Kent and Gottfried Mocke. Far from being a blockbuster, this is a subtle, layered wine, with aromas of violet and five-spice, subtle 60% whole bunches and flavours of bramble, blackberry and goji berry. Silky, scented and deftly oaked.