KEERMONT SYRAH is a blend of three different Syrah vineyard sites growing on Keermont Vineyards: Steepside Syrah: Growing on a North facing slope in deep, red clay-rich soils; this vineyard generally produces softer full bodied wines with rich, spicy flavours. Topside Syrah: An unirrigated west facing vineyard planted at 400m above sea level on rocky sandstone-based soil. Topside Syrah is usually an aromatic wine with a solid structure and high natural acid. Sweetwater Syrah: Situated in a rocky valley below the Fleurfontein spring, this is the coolest of the three Syrah sites and ripens the latest. Sweetwater Syrah is normally lighter and elegant in style with a herbal aroma. We add a small percentage of Mourvedre to this to bring some extra tannin structure and complexity. Vinification: All grapes used in producing our wines are grown on Keermont Vineyards. Small parcels of grapes are specifically selected according to ripeness, harvested by hand, and vinified separately. This process is carried out gently and naturally in open top fermenters using traditional methods only. This wine spent 20 months maturing in seasoned 500 and 225 litre French oak barrels before being bottled by hand on 27 November 2019. We produced 13074 bottles and 98 magnums.  

TASTING NOTE

Keermont Syrah 2018 has a bright blood red colour with a lighter hue. The bouquet is enticing with strawberries and other red fruit and notes of sandal wood, tea leaf, cloves, and orange rind. The wine has a gentle entry onto the palate. It exudes vibrant flavours of cherry and raspberry, complimented by savoury spice, and a vanilla note. A soft, but tight tannin structure and good natural acidity keep the flavours focused into a tidy succulent finish. Drink 2023-2033.  

VINTAGE REPORT

Despite prevailing drought conditions, 2018 was a very good growing season on Keermont. We had a fairly cold winter although it was drier than usual. Spring arrived quite early and the warm weather ensured an even budburst. We had some good rain showers during the season which allowed for the vines to grow sufficiently. These factors led to the formation of a healthy crop which ripened evenly. We had very notable diurnal temperature variation during this season (warm days and cool nights) which is responsible for good tannin, colour, and flavour development. Harvest started at the beginning of February and ran very smoothly. We processed 87 tons (13 varieties) in the Keermont winery over the period of seven weeks.  

BLOCKS

BLOCK	VARIETY	PLANTED	YIELD	%
Steepside	Syrah	2005	5.3 ton/Ha	30%
Steepside	Syrah	2009	2.7 ton/Ha	10%
Topside	Syrah	2006	5.6 ton/Ha	30%
Sweetwater	Syrah	2006	14.6 ton/Ha	19%
Steepside	Mourvèdre	2009	2.2 ton/Ha	11%

ANALYSIS

Alc: 14.0 % pH: 3.66 TA: 5.2 g/L RS: 1.8 g/L TSO2: 51 mg/L VA: 0.72 g/L

ACCOLADES

SYRAH 19: 93 pts TIM ATKIN (MW) SYRAH 18: 4 ½ stars PLATTER'S GUIDE SYRAH 18: 93 pts TIM ATKIN (MW) SYRAH 18: 93 pts NEAL MARTIN (Vinous) SYRAH 17: 91 WINE SPECTATOR SYRAH 17: 4 ½ stars PLATTER'S GUIDE SYRAH 17: 93 pts TIM ATKIN (MW) SYRAH 17: 90 pts NEAL MARTIN (Vinous) SYRAH 16: 91 pts NEAL MARTIN (Wine Advocate) SYRAH 16: 92 pts TIM ATKIN (MW) SYRAH 16: 4 ½ stars PLATTER'S GUIDE SYRAH 15: 91 pts WINE MAGAZINE SYRAH 15: 93 pts TIM ATKIN (MW) SYRAH 15: 4 ½ stars PLATTER'S GUIDE SYRAH 15: 93 pts NEAL MARTIN (Wine Advocate) SYRAH 14: 4 stars PLATTER'S GUIDE SYRAH 14: 94 pts TIM ATKIN (MW) SYRAH 14: 90 pts NEAL MARTIN (Wine Advocate) SYRAH 13: 93 pts TIM ATKIN (MW) SYRAH 13: 4 stars PLATTER GUIDE SYRAH 12: 95 pts (5 stars) DECANTER MAGAZINE SYRAH 12: 17 pts JANCIS ROBINSON SYRAH 12: 92 pts NEAL MARTIN (Wine Advocate) SYRAH 12: 94 pts TIM ATKIN (MW) SYRAH 12: MATTHEW JUKES WoW in Money week:"my top red wine from the recent South African expo ….""the greatest South African sensory experiences of my year "-  21 November 2014 SYRAH 12: 4 stars PLATTER GUIDE SYRAH 11: 91 pts NEAL MARTIN (Wine Advocate) SYRAH 10: 93 pts NEAL MARTIN (Wine Advocate) SYRAH 10: 92pts JAMES MOLESWORTH (Wine Spectator) SYRAH 10: 19/20 RENÉ GABRIEL SYRAH 10: 92pts PETER MOSER (Falstaff) SYRAH 10: 17.5pts JULIA HARDING (MW) (Jancis Robinson) SYRAH 09: 94 pts NEAL MARTIN (Wine Advocate) SYRAH 09: 91pts JAMES MOLESWORTH (Wine Spectator) SYRAH 09: 94pts PETER MOSER (Falstaff)

Terrasse is our barrel fermented white blend which derives its name from the terraced vineyards leading up the mountains on the estate. We have six different white wine varieties planted on these terraces and every year we make up a unique blend depending on what the year gives us. The base is Chenin blanc from three distinctive vineyards - our old vine Riverside block planted in 1971, the dryland bush vine Bobbejaan Wingerd (Baboon Vineyard), and the trellised Low Road vineyard. The other varieties add complexity and create a more complete wine. Chardonnay gives a little more weight on the palate, Sauvignon blanc from our dryland vineyard ‘Uitkyk’ (planted in 1988) brings fresh acidity, and the drops of Roussanne, Marsanne, and Viognier give this vintage a slight spicy, aromatic lift. Small batches of grapes are selected according to ripeness, harvested by hand and vinified separately. Terrasse is fermented by indigenous yeast in seasoned French oak barrels and spends a further 12 months maturing on the lees. Bottling is carried out by hand with minimal fining and filtration.  

TASTING NOTE

The Terrasse 2022 has an inviting aroma with notes of spring flowers, ripe apricots and citrus, and a hint of fennel. The palate is soft and luscious, with lovely fresh acidity and an array of flavours: ripe apricot, peach and quince flavours complimented by richer more spicy savoury fruit. This follows into a lingering aftertaste with salty acidity. Drink 2023-2035.  

VINTAGE REPORT

2022 will go down as a very successful and plentiful vintage at Keermont. On paper it was a vintage of two halves. The first half of the season was very cool and wet. We recorded the wettest winter since starting to farm Keermont Vineyards in 2005! By Christmas time we could see that we had a lovely looking crop of grapes ripening on the healthy green vines. After Christmas the weather changed completely and we had a hot and dry run into harvest. The grapes, which we thought were going to be harvested late, ripened quickly under the healthy conditions. Harvest started on 1 February which is fairly normal for us. It quickly picked up tempo and before long we were going flat out picking grapes and processing in the cellar. We pressed our biggest vintage ever in the Keermont Winery: just over 90 tonnes of healthy, estate grown fruit!

BLOCKS

BLOCK	VARIETY	PLANTED	YIELD	%
Low Road	Chenin Blanc	2007	10.2 ton/Ha	34%
Bobbejaan	Chenin Blanc	2009	2.9 ton/Ha	12%
Uitkyk	Sauv Blanc	1988	2.7 ton/Ha	14%
Low Road	Chardonnay	2007	7.0 ton/Ha	15%
Die Terrasse	Chardonnay	2009	0.7 ton/Ha	5%
Cottage Lane	Viognier	2006	9.2 ton/Ha	8%
Riverside	Roussanne	2014	6.2 ton/Ha	10%
Riverside	Marsanne	2014	7.5 ton/Ha	2%

ANALYSIS

Chenin blanc 46%; Chardonnay 20%; Sauvignon blanc 14%; Roussanne 10%; Viognier 8% Marsanne 2% Alc: 13.5% pH: 3.32 TA: 5.2g/L RS: 2.2g/L TSO2: 78mg/L VA: 0.52g/L

ACCOLADES

TERRASSE 23: 90 pts NEAL MARTIN (VINOUS) TERRASSE 23: 93 pts TIM ATKIN (MW) TERRASSE 22: 4 ½ stars PLATTER GUIDE TERRASSE 22: 93 pts TIM ATKIN (MW) TERRASSE 22: 93 pts NEAL MARTIN (VINOUS) TERRASSE 21: 91 pts WINE SPECTATOR TERRASSE 21: 5 stars PLATTER GUIDE TERRASSE 21: 93 pts TIM ATKIN (MW) TERRASSE 21: 91 pts NEAL MARTIN (VINOUS) TERRASSE 20: 90 pts WINE SPECTATOR TERRASSE 20: 4 ½ stars PLATTER GUIDE TERRASSE 20: 90 pts NEAL MARTIN (VINOUS) TERRASSE 19: 91 pts WINE SPECTATOR TERRASSE 19: 94 pts NEAL MARTIN (VINOUS) TERRASSE 19: 93 pts TIM ATKIN (MW) TERRASSE 19: 95 pts CHRISTIAN EEDES (Wine Magazine) TERRASSE 19: 92 pts JAMES SUCKLING (MW) TERRASSE 19: 4 ½ stars PLATTER GUIDE TERRASSE 18: 94 pts TIM ATKIN (MW) TERRASSE 18: 92 pts NEAL MARTIN (VINOUS) TERRASSE 18: 93 pts CHRISTIAN EEDES (Wine Magazine) TERRASSE 18: 4 ½ stars PLATTER GUIDE TERRASSE 17: 94 pts TIM ATKIN (MW) TERRASSE 17: 4 ½ stars PLATTER GUIDE TERRASSE 16: FIRST CLASS Japan Airlines TERRASSE 16: 93pts TIM ATKIN (MW) TERRASSE 16: 4 ½ stars PLATTER GUIDE TERRASSE 16: 90 pts NEAL MARTIN TERRASSE 15: 95 pts Cape White Blend Report - Wine Magazine 2017 TERRASSE 15: 93 pts TIM ATKIN (MW) TERRASSE 15: 4 stars PLATTER GUIDE TERRASSE 15: 92 pts WINE SPECTATOR TERRASSE 15: 93 pts NEAL MARTIN (Wine Advocate) TERRASSE 14: FIRST CLASS British Airways TERRASSE 14: 94 pts TIM ATKIN (MW) TERRASSE 14: 90 pts WINE SPECTATOR 2016 TERRASSE 14: 4½ stars PLATTER GUIDE 2016 TERRASSE 14: 93 pts NEAL MARTIN (Wine Advocate) TERRASSE 13: FIRST CLASS British Airways TERRASSE 13: 17 pts JANCIS ROBINSON TERRASSE 13: 89 pts NEAL MARTIN (Wine Advocate) TERRASSE 13: 94 pts TIM ATKIN (MW) TERRASSE 13: MATTHEW JUKES WoW in Money week: “scintillating “– 21 November 2014 TERRASSE 13: 4 stars PLATTER GUIDE

75% Mourvèdre; 25% Syrah The Keermont 4 Barrels Rosé 2024 is a barrel fermented Rosé made up of three barrels of Mourvèdre and one barrel of Syrah. The Mourvèdre grows high up in the Steepside vineyard and the Syrah grapes come from the Sweetwater vineyard lower in the valley which ripens very late allowing us plenty of time to pick some nice fresh grapes for the Rosé. Winemaking: The batches are harvested early (before they are very ripe) for freshness in the wine. The grapes are left on the skins for about an hour to draw just the right amount of colour before being basket pressed. The juice is fermented in seasoned French oak barrels and left to settle for about 6 months before being bottled by hand. Total of 1156 bottles and 50 Magnums produced.   TASTING NOTE Pale onion skin pink in colour, this wine has powerful aromas of ripe strawberry, litchi, and watermelon. The palate is soft and textured with vibrant acidity. Beautiful tropical and stone fruit flavours are complimented by vanilla undertones. Drink now, but will last for at least 5 years.   ANALYSIS Alc: 14.0% pH: 3.39 TA: 4.9 g/L RS: 2.1 g/L TSO2: 58 mg/L VA: 0.60 g/L   VINTAGE REPORT A cold, wet winter set the vines up for the growing season.  The early season ran smoothly, but unfavourable conditions during flowering led to a smaller crop that we initially expected. A series of heat waves in the second half of the ripening season saw the small crop ripening quickly. The crop was down by 30% although the quality is looking excellent.    

Keermont Vineyards is a specialist wine estate set in a naturally-formed amphitheatre between the Helderberg and Stellenbosch Mountain ranges. Selecting the best fruit from several vineyard sites on the farm, we create a blend each year which is distinctive, unique, and portrays the character of our superb terroir. This blend is Keermont Amphitheatre. All grapes used in producing our wines are grown on Keermont Vineyards. The vineyards grow on deep red clay rich soil derived from sandstone and granite and are surrounded by indigenous mountain ‘fynbos’ vegetation. Aspects vary from North East through North to West facing between 250 and 400 meters above sea level. This variety of slopes gives us complexity in our vineyards resulting in complexity in our wines. Small batches of grapes are specifically selected according to ripeness, harvested by hand and vinified separately. This process is carried out gently and naturally in open top fermenters using traditional methods only. This wine spent 28 months maturing in seasoned French oak barriques (first, second, third fill) before being bottled by hand without filtration on 18 July 2019. 4600 bottles and 100 magnums were produced. The Keermont Amphitheatre 2017 lay in bottle in our cellar for 5 years before release to ensure integration and maturity.

TASTING NOTE

Bright ruby red in the glass, the Keermont Amphitheatre 2017 opens with savoury herbal notes and rich ripe fruit complimented by hints of baked pudding, vanilla, cloves and potpourri. The palate is structured and tight. Vibrant red fruit flavours of strawberries and cherries with typical herbal notes with hints if tanned leather and sandal wood. Layers of flavour and tannin linger into a long, balanced savoury finish. Drink 2024-2037.

VINTAGE REPORT

2017 was an excellent growing season on Keermont. Despite a drier than usual winter, we had strong growth in the vineyards during the springtime. This led to the formation of a good healthy crop which ripened evenly during the warm, dry summer. Harvest started fairly early but was put on hold after a heavy rainfall in late January. This rejuvenated the vines and allowed for extended ripening which definitely raised the general quality. We recorded one of our largest and healthiest crops yet and grapes came in with great analysis and concentration.

BLOCKS

BLOCK	VARIETY	PLANTED	YIELD	%
Steepside	Syrah	2005	4.2 ton/Ha	14%
High Road	Merlot	2005	6.7 ton/Ha	27%
Cottage Lane	Cab Sauv	2006	4.2 ton/Ha	22%
High Road	Cab Franc	2007	6.2 ton/Ha	27%
Steepside	Petit Verdot	2005	4.6 ton/Ha	5%
Homestead	Malbec	2007	4.4 ton/Ha	5%

ANALYSIS

Alc: 15.0 % pH: 3.59 TA: 5.8 g/L RS: 2.5 g/L TSO2: 54 mg/L VA: 0.80 g/L

ACCOLADES

AMPHITHEATRE 18: 93 pts TIM ATKIN (MW) AMPHITHEATRE 17: 4 ½ stars PLATTER GUIDE AMPHITHEATRE 17: 91 pts TIM ATKIN (MW) AMPHITHEATRE 17: 91 pts NEAL MARTIN (VINOUS) AMPHITHEATRE 16: 91 WINE SPECTATOR AMPHITHEATRE 16: 4 ½ stars PLATTER GUIDE AMPHITHEATRE 16: 94 pts TIM ATKIN (MW) AMPHITHEATRE 16: 94 pts NEAL MARTIN (VINOUS) AMPHITHEATRE 15: 95 pts NEAL MARTIN (VINOUS) AMPHITHEATRE 15: 93 pts TIM ATKIN (MW) AMPHITHEATRE 15: 90 pts CHRISTIAN EEDES (Wine Magazine) AMPHITHEATRE 15: 4 ½ stars PLATTER GUIDE

Planted in 1971, Riverside Chenin blanc is the oldest vineyard on Keermont and one of the oldest blocks on Chenin blanc in Stellenbosch. Soils on the banks of the Blaauwklippen River, in which the vines are planted, vary from sandy alluvial plains with river stone to red clay loam as one moves away from the river. This patchy old vineyard, at an elevation of 250m, delivers very low yields of incredible quality fruit year in and year out. Like the old vines from which it is made, this wine has great complexity and character with quiet intensity. Proud member of the Old Vine Project (www.oldvineproject.co.za). The yield from the Riverside Chenin blanc vineyard (2.14 HA) is so low that every bunch is used to make this wine. The vineyard is hand-picked in small sections according to where the grapes are perfectly ripe. The fruit is normally golden yellow in colour and peppered with delicious raisins. The grapes are crushed before being basket-pressed straight to the barrels where the juice will ferment. Fermentation is carried out by yeast which occurs naturally on the grape skins and in the winery. This wine was fermented and then spent a further 11 months maturing on the lees in three seasoned 500L French oak barrels. Bottling was carried out by hand and only 1665 bottles and 50 magnums of this wine were produced.  

TASTING NOTE

Lovely faint lime hue. The aromas are fresh with delicate floral notes of lily and salted cashew and a soft indication of oak. Classic old vine Chenin blanc. Floral notes give way to youthful fruit aromas of naartjie or mandarin zest and fresh white pear. Fruit is lightly seasoned with toasted Sesame and spicy undertones. The palate is crisp and dry up front, with racy acidity and a long finish. White fruit notes follow through from the nose, and pear and granny smith apple flavours are most evident. After some time in the glass, it shows cumin and ginger spice with characteristic salinity and light texture on the finish.  

VINTAGE REPORT

Winter temperatures leading up to the 2020 harvest were moderate, with below average rainfall. Fortunately, we had a wet Spring which prompted the vines to grow strong and develop a decent size crop. Early season was marked by erratic temperatures with several heat spikes. These factors made farming quite tough with increased pressure from disease and insects. The vineyard team worked hard to prepare a healthy crop. Mid-Summer temperatures were moderate, although we did experience a short heat wave in January. This was followed by a galeforce South-East wind which hammered the vineyards. This resulted in the grapes ripening quickly. Although we started picking at a normal time, by 10 March we had picked all the grapes for our wines.

ANALYSIS

Alc: 14.0 % pH: 3.42 TA: 5.2 g/L RS: 1.6 g/L TSO2: 72 mg/L VA: 0.90 g/L

ACCOLADES

RIVERSIDE CHEN 21: 94 pts TIM ATKIN (MW) RIVERSIDE CHEN 20: 4 ½ stars PLATTER GUIDE RIVERSIDE CHEN 20: 94 pts TIM ATKIN (MW) RIVERSIDE CHEN 20: 91 pts NEAL MARTIN (VINOUS) RIVERSIDE CHEN 20: 91 pts WINE SPECTATOR RIVERSIDE CHEN 19: 95 pts DECANTER RIVERSIDE CHEN 19: 4 ½ stars PLATTER GUIDE RIVERSIDE CHEN 19: 95 pts TIM ATKIN (MW) RIVERSIDE CHEN 19: 92 pts NEAL MARTIN (VINOUS) RIVERSIDE CHEN 19: 91 pts WINE SPECTATOR RIVERSIDE CHEN 18: 95 pts TIM ATKIN (MW) RIVERSIDE CHEN 18: 91 pts NEAL MARTIN (VINOUS) RIVERSIDE CHEN 18: 96 pts DECANTER RIVERSIDE CHEN 18: 96 pts WINE MAGAZINE RIVERSIDE CHEN 18: 4 ½ stars PLATTER GUIDE RIVERSIDE CHEN 17: 95pts TIM ATKIN (MW) RIVERSIDE CHEN 17: 4 ½ stars PLATTER GUIDE RIVERSIDE CHEN 17: 91 pts NEAL MARTIN RIVERSIDE CHEN 15: 93 pts NEAL MARTIN (Wine Advocate) RIVERSIDE CHEN 15: 93 pts TIM ATKIN (MW) RIVERSIDE CHEN 14:  5 stars PLATTER GUIDE 2016 RIVERSIDE CHEN 14: 92 pts NEAL MARTIN (Wine Advocate) RIVERSIDE CHEN 14: 17 pts JANCIS ROBINSON RIVERSIDE CHEN 13: 89 pts NEAL MARTIN (Wine Advocate) RIVERSIDE CHEN 13:  4½ stars PLATTER GUIDE