“Some of the best things in life emerge from tough times and dark places”.True in wine, as in life, this message appears on the bottle’s back label to reflect the resilience of the Syrah vines that grow in the southern tip of Africa. Conditions are extreme on the harsh, exposed slopes of Cape Agulhas and, as always, we’re astonished and delighted by what nature delivers.

100% Cape Agulhas Syrah

Three cool climate, low-altitude Syrah parcels (50m-80m above sea level), just 8km from the stark and blustery Agulhas coast. As a pioneering wine region, vines are 23-24 years old with a predominant North West aspect, planted on Clay and Koffieklip soils.

We begin harvesting in the cool, early hours of the morning into 15kg lug boxes. Grapes are transported to the cellar in a refrigerated truck where they are cooled overnight. Following gentle foot-stomping and crushing, spontaneous fermentation takes place in a combination of open and closed top fermenters with a single daily pump over. A great deal of effort goes into keeping parcels separate during fermentation and maturation, opting to blend just prior to bottling.Every pick and vintage is unique, so we vary the percentage of whole bunches (whole cluster) with an average of 35% making this blend. Maturation in 225L, 228L and 300L neutral French oak barrels lasted 12 months.