Syrah Stellenbosch 2022

Located in the Stellenbosch region, in the heart of South Africa's Western Cape, the Damascene vineyard stretches across hillsides exposed to maritime influences from False Bay. The Syrah vines are planted in diverse soils, a blend of decomposed granite, schist, and clay, which impart freshness and complexity to the wine. The Mediterranean climate, tempered by ocean breezes, allows for a slow and even ripening of the grapes, preserving the natural acidity and purity of the fruit. This mosaic of terroirs gives the wine a precise and elegant identity.

The Syrah grapes are hand-harvested on the granite slopes of Stellenbosch, then carefully sorted before partial destemming. Fermentation takes place in open vats, with gentle pump-overs and punch-downs to delicately extract color, aromas, and tannins. A variable proportion of whole clusters is incorporated to preserve freshness and structure. The wine is then aged in French oak barrels that have held several vintages, on fine lees, to emphasize the expression of the terroir and the wine's textural finesse rather than the influence of oak.

This wine reveals notes of ripe black fruit , raspberry , and violet , complemented by spicy touches of black pepper and clove , as well as delicate smoky and woody accents. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied and precise, supported by fine tannins and a fresh acidity that lengthens the finish, leaving an impression of minerality and great aromatic purity.

The first grape vines were planted in South Africa by Dutch settlers in the 1650s, although wine production did not really take off until the arrival of French Protestants in the 1680s with their skills and knowledge of viticulture. Stellenbosch is also a historic wine region, with the first vineyards being planted there in the 1690s. Today, South Africa is one of the most important wine producing countries in the Southern Hemisphere. With over 300 years of winemaking history, it is often described as a bridge between the Old and New Worlds. The majority of wines are produced using New World winemaking techniques, but they often share more in common stylistically with their Old World counterparts. Since the end of apartheid, South African wine has received international attention and acclaim for its wide variety of styles. South Africa's wine industry is spread across the lush and rugged landscape of the Western Cape. Here, the abundance of mountains, valleys and plateaus allows winemakers to produce a wide variety of styles. Vineyards are also found in the Orange River region of the Northern Cape, where the flat, arid landscape is dominated by the Kalahari Desert. Most of South Africa's wine regions have a Mediterranean climate, heavily influenced by the meeting of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. The country's signature grape variety is Pinotage, an indigenous cross of Pinot Noir and Cinsault that is rarely found in quantity in other wine-producing countries. Shiraz (Syrah) is also widely planted, as are Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot (often combined in a Bordeaux blend). South African Chardonnay, Chenin and Sauvignon Blanc have become popular internationally in recent years.