Stellenbosch Syrah 2022

This cuvée comes from the Oude Nektar estate, in the Jonkershoek Valley, in the heart of Stellenbosch, South Africa. The grapes come from three of the estate's plots, between 240 and 310 metres above sea level on south-west-facing slopes. The vines draw their character from decomposed granite soils higher up and from a very stony terroir, strewn with river stones, lower down the valley.

The grapes are harvested by hand towards the end of February, then crushed into small open-top fermenters. Fermentation is carried out with native yeasts; around 20% of the grapes are vinified as whole bunches. Regular punch-downs accompany the maceration, before the wine is run off into barrels for malolactic fermentation. The wine is aged for 18 months in French oak barrels, 20% of them new, then bottled without fining or filtration.

This wine reveals notes of raspberry, cherry, plum, blackberry, violet, dried flowers, white pepper, liquorice, tea leaf, fresh earth and stony minerality. The palate combines generous fruit with a silky, refined texture, carried by bright acidity. The fine yet structuring tannins provide backbone, while the long, delicately spicy finish retains a lovely freshness.

The first vines were planted in South Africa by Dutch settlers in the 1650s, although wine production did not really take off until the arrival of the French Huguenots in the 1680s, with their viticultural skills and knowledge. Stellenbosch is also a historic wine region, its first vineyards having been planted in the 1690s. Today South Africa is one of the most important wine-producing countries in the southern hemisphere. With more than 300 years of winemaking history, it is often described as a bridge between the Old and New Worlds. Most wines are made using New World winemaking techniques, yet stylistically they often have more in common with their Old World counterparts. Since the end of apartheid, South African wine has attracted international attention and won acclaim for its great diversity of styles. The South African wine industry is spread across the lush, rugged landscape of the Western Cape. Here, an abundance of mountains, valleys and plateaux 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 enjoy a Mediterranean climate, strongly influenced by the meeting of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. The country's signature grape variety is Pinotage, a native cross of Pinot Noir and Cinsaut rarely found in any quantity in other wine-producing countries. Shiraz (Syrah) is also widely planted, as are Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot (often brought together in a Bordeaux blend). South African Chardonnay, Chenin and Sauvignon Blanc have become popular internationally in recent years.