Back In Stock Soon
The Critics
Tim Atkin MW
97 points. 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.
94 points. Lovely fragrance with thyme, cracked pepper, iron, coriander and black berry fruit. Medium-bodied, peppery and compact, with vibrant acidity and a focused finish. Long and persistent. Drink or hold.
93+ The 2021 Syrah was picked later than the 2020. It contains more whole bunches than prior vintages (65%) and matured for 18 months, 90% in Stockinger foudre and Stockinger demi-muids. This is quite concentrated on the nose with dark berry fruit, bay leaf and white pepper, perhaps less floral than some of its peers. The aromatics feel tightly coiled at the moment. The palate is smooth and harmonious on the entry, with a fine structure. It is compact at the moment with cracked black and white pepper and garrigues notes flourishing toward the persistent finish. Much more backward than expected. I would cellar this for three to five years before cracking open as it’s a serious Syrah.
Vineyard Info
Grapes for our Boekenhoutskloof Syrah are picked from select parcels of the finest Syrah grown at our Swartland farms, Porseleinberg (90%) and Goldmine (10%), close to the small town of Riebeek-Kasteel. The Porseleinberg vineyards are planted on an extremely hard and rocky bedrock of decomposed Mica-Schist; a unique ward-defining terroir within the appellation. The vineyards on Goldmine sit on the south-west slopes of the Kasteelberg and comprise of Brown Schist with deposits of Table Mountain sandstone, which is weathered and washed from the adjacent mountain. The delicate combination of these two properties allow for this expression of both concentrated and structured wines, made from this Rhône grape.
Vintage Info
The winter preceding the 2021 Swartland Syrah vintage offered suitable cold units during dormancy, ensuring a good start to the vineyard cycle. The absence of typical Swartland heat spikes in December and January necessitated patience to attain the desired ripeness. The refined and compact character inherent in this vintage significantly enhances the overall elegance of the wine.
Vinification
The Syrah grapes were hand-harvested into lug boxes and transported to Boekenhoutskloof in Franschhoek for vinification. Grapes were cooled in our cold room, then transferred to our tulip-shaped concrete tanks for fermentation. A combination of partially destemmed and whole-bunch (65%) clusters fermented spontaneously with minimal sulphur additions and no acidification. A soft délestage was performed 2-3 per day. Once maceration is complete, the skins are basket pressed and gravity-fed into traditional 2 500L Austrian oak foudres and 600L demi-muids for further ageing of up to 18 months.
