Wine Gabriëlskloof, The Landscape Series Syrah on Sandstone, 2015
In the sea of new-world wines, this delicate Syrah is reminiscent of the old-world styles. Due to the cooler terroir, the wine offers delicate fruits and savory notes with very subtle spice.
Characteristics
Wine Style:
Red- A delicate, savory Syrah, reminiscent of old-world styles, with pure fruit and integrated tannin.
Tasting Notes:
The bouquet is savoury, with black olive, white pepper and violets lifting from the glass, all highlighting this as a cool climate, rocky vineyard Syrah. This spice is complemented by elegant, delicate purity of fruit and a tannin base that will ensure its longevity. Black fruit, blackberry, pepper, white pepper, oak, cedar, mocha
Vineyards:
The Syrah from Sandstone site is mountainous and made up of broken Sandstone rock, making it incredibly tough for vineyards to grow. This merciless environment leads to low vigour and very small yields, resulting in a complex, unique wine.
Winemaking process:
The grapes were hand-picked into small crates and transferred directly into cool rooms where it remained overnight. 70% of the crop was destemmed with the remaining 30% left as whole clusters. The wine was fermented wild and aged in 500L barrels for 18 months, with 30% new French Oak used.
Interesting notes:
The 2015 vintage led to early proclamations that it is a Cape classic, and the wines are certainly backing this up. In his fourth annual guide to South African wines, award-winning British wine writer and Master of Wine Tim Atkin says the 2015 vintage is“the best I’ve tasted in 26 years...”.A wet 2014 provided ample reserves for the vines to develop happily through the warm and dry summer leading to early, but full ripeness and beautifully balanced wines.
