Planted in 2005 on the steep mid-slopes of the Helderberg Mountain range, the Steepside Syrah vineyard sits at an elevation of 300m. Vines grow in red clay loam soils with high levels of iron and quartzite originating from the peaks above. The combination of these deep granitic soils and the intensity of the sunshine on the North facing ridge allows the vineyard to produce wines with power and structure, while the spicy herbal aromatics can be attributed to the elevation and the pristine fynbos flora that surround it.
All grapes used in producing this wine come from our Steepside 2 Syrah block (1.3Ha). A small parcel of grapes was specifically selected, harvested by hand and vinified separately. Fermentation was carried out by yeast which occur naturally on the grape skins and in the winery. Our red wines spend three to four weeks fermenting and macerating on the skins in small open top tanks (30% whole bunch) with one or two gentle ‘punch-downs’ performed per day. This wine spent 21 months maturing in seasoned 500L French oak barrels before being bottled by hand and only 2516 bottles and 50 magnums were produced.
TASTING NOTE
Lighter, bright red in colour the Steepside Syrah has expressive sweet red fruit character on the nose with hints of cloves and fynbos. The entry onto the palate is soft and silky and effortless. Ripe plum and strawberry fruit flavours are contrasted by a hint of herbs and vanilla. The delicate flavours and tannin linger into a succulent dry finish. Suggested drinking window 2026-2035.
VINTAGE REPORT
Winter temperatures at the start of the 2020 vintage were moderate with below average rainfall. Fortunately, we had a wet spring which prompted the vines to grow strongly and develop a decent size crop. Early season was marked by fairly erratic temperatures with several heat spikes. These factors made farming quite tough with increased pressure from disease and insects and the vineyard team worked hard to prepare a good looking crop.
Mid-summer temperatures were fairly moderate although we did experience a short heat wave in January. This was followed by a gale force South East wind which hammered the vineyards. This resulted in the grapes ripening quickly and, although we started picking at a fairly normal time, by 10 March we had picked all of the grapes for our wines.
ANALYSIS
Alc: 14.0 %
pH: 3.68
TA: 5.0 g/L
RS: 2.0 g/L
TSO2: 63 mg/L
VA: 0.95 g/L
ACCOLADES
STEEPSIDE SYRAH 19: 93 pts NEAL MARTIN (VINOUS)
STEEPSIDE SYRAH 19: 4 ½ stars PLATTER GUIDE
STEEPSIDE SYRAH 19: 95 pts TIM ATKIN (MW)
STEEPSIDE SYRAH 18: 88th place: JAMES SUCKLING TOP 100 SA WINES
STEEPSIDE SYRAH 18: 4 ½ stars PLATTER GUIDE
STEEPSIDE SYRAH 18: 96 pts TIM ATKIN (MW)
STEEPSIDE SYRAH 18: 91 pts NEAL MARTIN (VINOUS)
STEEPSIDE SYRAH 18: 92 pts WINE SPECTATOR
STEEPSIDE SYRAH 17: 4 ½ stars PLATTER GUIDE
STEEPSIDE SYRAH 17: 96 pts TIM ATKIN (MW)
STEEPSIDE SYRAH 17: 92 pts NEAL MARTIN (VINOUS)
STEEPSIDE SYRAH 17: 92 pts WINE SPECTATOR
STEEPSIDE SYRAH 16: 94 pts TIM ATKIN (MW)
STEEPSIDE SYRAH 16: 94 pts NEAL MARTIN (VINOUS)
STEEPSIDE SYRAH 16: 96 pts DECANTER
STEEPSIDE SYRAH 16: 92 pts WINE MAGAZINE
STEEPSIDE SYRAH 16: 4 ½ stars PLATTER GUIDE
STEEPSIDE SYRAH 15: 95 pts TIM ATKIN (MW)
STEEPSIDE SYRAH 15: 4 ½ stars PLATTER GUIDE
STEEPSIDE SYRAH 15: 92 pts NEAL MARTIN
STEEPSIDE SYRAH 14: 94 pts NEAL MARTIN (Wine Advocate)
STEEPSIDE SYRAH 14: 96 pts TIM ATKIN (MW)
STEEPSIDE SYRAH 14: 4½ stars PLATTER GUIDE
STEEPSIDE SYRAH 12: 96 pts TIM ATKIN (MW)
STEEPSIDE SYRAH 12: TIM ATKIN (MW) – Super Syrah: 70 top New World buys for Rhone Lovers, Decanter Magazine, Sep 2015
STEEPSIDE SYRAH 12: 92 pts NEAL MARTIN (Wine Advocate)
STEEPSIDE SYRAH 12: 4½ stars PLATTER GUIDE
