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A six bottle case of Amphitheatre 2016 from our vinotheque. -
Mourvèdre 100% The Keermont Companion Mourvèdre 2022 is a single barrel bottling of Mourvèdre that was left over after we completed our blending of the 2022 vintage. We have a 0.7Ha parcel of Mourvedre that grows in a prime position on Steepside. The quality of the wine is great, but we only need a small amount to blend into the Keermont Syrah.VINIFICATION
All grapes used in producing our wines are grown on Keermont Vineyards. Most of the vineyard parcels grow on deep red clay rich soil derived from sandstone and granite and are surrounded by indigenous ‘fynbos’ vegetation. Our vineyards are planted on steep mid-slopes high up in the valley between the Stellenbosch and Helderberg mountain ranges. Aspects vary from North East through North to West facing between 250 and 400 meters above sea level. 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 20 months maturing in a seasoned French oak barrique before being bottled by hand without filtration on 29/11/2023. 395 bottles were produced.TASTING NOTE
Lighter hue ruby red in colour, this wine has a savoury bouquet with hints of herbs and spice and dusty fruit. The pallet is fine and focussed with serious structure with spicey red fruit.. Drink 2024-2036.ANALYSIS
Alc: 14.00% pH: 3.66 TA: 4.5g/L RS: 1.7g/L TSO2: 74mg/L VA: 0.61g/LVINTAGE 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! These conditions led to good growth in the early season, but also increased disease pressure. We had to work hard to keep up with the strong growth in order to keep all the vines trimmed and tucked in to ripen the crop ideally. 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. The vineyards consistently delivered good yields and the winery tanks filled up quickly. We pressed our biggest vintage ever in the Keermont Winery: just over 90 tonnes of healthy, estate grown fruit! -
(375ml) The KEERMONT FLEURFONTEIN (‘flower fountain’) derives its name from a beautiful spring on the farm. The Sauvignon blanc vineyard from which grapes are sourced for this wine lies just below this spring. We use a distinctive technique to produce raisins in the vineyard which give the Fleurfontein its concentration and sweetness. Raisins are produced by using a pair of pliers to pinch the stem of the bunches while they ripen on the vine. This pinching action stops the translocation of fluids into and out of the grapes, which then stops them from becoming over ripe. We do this when the grapes are at optimal ripeness in order to concentrate the juice with the perfect sugar to acid balance. The grapes dry out naturally during the warm summer and are harvested a few weeks later. The syrupy juice is squeezed from them with a hard pressing process. This is slowly fermented by indigenous yeast in Hungarian and French oak barrels and then matures in these barrels for about 15 months. Total production for this bottling was seven barrels yielding 3900 bottles. All grapes used in producing this wine were grown on Keermont Vineyards. Processing, maturation, and bottling were carried out by hand in our cellar.TASTING NOTE
Yellow gold in colour, the Fleurfontein 2023 exudes aromas of dried apricot, litchi, and pine apple with hints of almond, vanilla and sweet spice. The palate is full and creamy with concentrated flavours of dried fruit, honey vanilla biscuit and a touch of curry spice. A central core of acidity gives the wine a long, complex, salted caramel finish. Drink now through to 2035.VINTAGE REPORT
2023 will be remembered as a wet vintage in the Cape. Winter was cold and wet (which is very beneficial for the vineyards and sets them on a good course for the vintage). While spring and the beginning of the growing season was cool and relatively dry, we did receive above average rainfall. December was very wet which created a lot of disease pressure and led to more growth in the vineyard. Harvest was also wetter than usual, and we had to time our picking carefully to avoid dilution from the rain. Fortunately, the Fleurfontein grapes were able to dry under relatively healthy conditions and we produced a record 7 barrels of sweet wine.BLOCKS
BLOCKVARIETYPLANTEDYIELD%Low RoadSauvignon blanc20058.9 ton/Ha100%ANALYSIS
Alc: 12.5 % pH: 3.45 TA: 7.2 g/L RS: 230.9 g/L TSO2: 155 mg/L VA: 1.55 g/LACCOLADES
FLEURFONTEIN 23: 5 stars PLATTER'S GUIDE FLEURFONTEIN 23: 95 pts NEAL MARTIN (Vinous) FLEURFONTEIN 22: 4 ½ stars PLATTER'S GUIDE FLEURFONTEIN 22: 95 pts TIM ATKIN (MW) FLEURFONTEIN 22: 94 pts NEAL MARTIN (Vinous) FLEURFONTEIN 21: 90 pts WINE SPECTATOR FLEURFONTEIN 21: 96 pts TIM ATKIN (MW) FLEURFONTEIN NV: 4 ½ stars PLATTER'S GUIDE FLEURFONTEIN NV: 94 pts TIM ATKIN (MW) FLEURFONTEIN 19: 97 pts NEAL MARTIN (Vinous) FLEURFONTEIN 19: 90 pts WINE SPECTATOR FLEURFONTEIN 19: 93 pts WINE MAGAZINE FLEURFONTEIN 19: 4 ½ stars PLATTER'S GUIDE FLEURFONTEIN 18: 95 pts NEAL MARTIN (Vinous) FLEURFONTEIN 18: 4 ½ stars PLATTER'S GUIDE FLEURFONTEIN 18: 92pts TIM ATKIN (MW) FLEURFONTEIN 17: 93pts TIM ATKIN (MW) FLEURFONTEIN 17: 4 stars PLATTER'S GUIDE FLEURFONTEIN 17: 93 pts NEAL MARTIN FLEURFONTEIN 15: 95 pts TIM ATKIN (MW) FLEURFONTEIN 15: 94 pts NEAL MARTIN (Wine Advocate) FLEURFONTEIN 14: 94 pts TIM ATKIN (MW) FLEURFONTEIN 14: 94pts NEAL MARTIN (Wine Advocate) FLEURFONTEIN 13: FIRST CLASS British Airways FLEURFONTEIN 13: 16.5 pts JANCIS ROBINSON FLEURFONTEIN 12: 91pts NEAL MARTIN (Wine Advocate) FLEURFONTEIN 12: 94 ptsTIM ATKIN (MW) FLEURFONTEIN 12: FIRST CLASS British Airways FLEURFONTEIN 12: 4½ starsPLATTER GUIDE 2015 FLEURFONTEIN 10: 92 pts NEAL MARTIN (Wine Advocate) FLEURFONTEIN 10: 4 stars PLATTER GUIDE 2012 -
WHAT IS IN THE BOX
The perfect starter pack of our wines. It includes one bottle of each of our annual release wines, namely, Terrasse, Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Amphitheatre & Fleurfontein. 10% discount included in the price. -
A six bottle case of Pondokrug Cabernet Franc 2016 from our vinotheque.ACCOLADES
PONDOKRUG CAB FRANC 19: 94 pts TIM ATKIN (MW) PONDOKRUG CAB FRANC 18: 4 stars PLATTER GUIDE PONDOKRUG CAB FRANC 18: 94 pts TIM ATKIN (MW) PONDOKRUG CAB FRANC 18: 93 pts NEAL MARTIN (VINOUS) PONDOKRUG CAB FRANC 17: 4 ½ stars PLATTER GUIDE PONDOKRUG CAB FRANC 17: 94 pts TIM ATKIN (MW) PONDOKRUG CAB FRANC 17: 90 pts NEAL MARTIN (VINOUS) PONDOKRUG CAB FRANC 17: 90 pts WINE SPECTATOR PONDOKRUG CAB FRANC 16: 94 pts TIM ATKIN (MW) PONDOKRUG CAB FRANC 16: 91 pts NEAL MARTIN (VINOUS) PONDOKRUG CAB FRANC 16: 94 pts WINE MAGAZINE PONDOKRUG CAB FRANC 16: 4 ½ stars PLATTER GUIDE PONDOKRUG CAB FRANC 15: 96 pts TIM ATKIN (MW) PONDOKRUG CAB FRANC 15: 4 ½ star PLATTER GUIDE PONDOKRUG CAB FRANC 15: 90 pts NEAL MARTIN PONDOKRUG CAB FRANC 14: 92 pts NEAL MARTIN (Wine Advocate) PONDOKRUG CAB FRANC 14: 94 pts TIM ATKIN (MW) PONDOKRUG CAB FRANC 14: 4 stars PLATTER GUIDE -
A six bottle case of Pondokrug Cabernet Franc 2017 from our vinotheque.
ACCOLADES
PONDOKRUG CAB FRANC 19: 94 pts TIM ATKIN (MW) PONDOKRUG CAB FRANC 18: 4 stars PLATTER GUIDE PONDOKRUG CAB FRANC 18: 94 pts TIM ATKIN (MW) PONDOKRUG CAB FRANC 18: 93 pts NEAL MARTIN (VINOUS) PONDOKRUG CAB FRANC 17: 4 ½ stars PLATTER GUIDE PONDOKRUG CAB FRANC 17: 94 pts TIM ATKIN (MW) PONDOKRUG CAB FRANC 17: 90 pts NEAL MARTIN (VINOUS) PONDOKRUG CAB FRANC 17: 90 pts WINE SPECTATOR PONDOKRUG CAB FRANC 16: 94 pts TIM ATKIN (MW) PONDOKRUG CAB FRANC 16: 91 pts NEAL MARTIN (VINOUS) PONDOKRUG CAB FRANC 16: 94 pts WINE MAGAZINE PONDOKRUG CAB FRANC 16: 4 ½ stars PLATTER GUIDE PONDOKRUG CAB FRANC 15: 96 pts TIM ATKIN (MW) PONDOKRUG CAB FRANC 15: 4 ½ star PLATTER GUIDE PONDOKRUG CAB FRANC 15: 90 pts NEAL MARTIN PONDOKRUG CAB FRANC 14: 92 pts NEAL MARTIN (Wine Advocate) PONDOKRUG CAB FRANC 14: 94 pts TIM ATKIN (MW) PONDOKRUG CAB FRANC 14: 4 stars PLATTER GUIDE -
Pondokrug - a ridge (rug) deriving its name from a shepherds hut (Pondok). High up on the West facing slopes of the Stellenbosch Mountain, this is a 1.8Ha parcel of Cabernet Franc planted in 2006. At an elevation of 380m above sea level and surrounded by mountain ‘fynbos’ vegetation, this block is exposed to many natural elements resulting in very low yields. The soil on Pondokrug is red granitic loam with a high clay content which sustains the vines during the summer months. These factors allow us to produce an intense wine with unique flavours and a solid tannin structure. All grapes used in producing our wines are grown All grapes used in producing this wine are grown on two small terraces of Pondokrug. These small parcels of grapes are harvested by hand at optimal ripeness and vinified separately. Fermentation is carried out by yeast which occurs naturally on the grape skins and in the winery. The wines spends three to four weeks fermenting and macerating on the skins in small open top tanks with one or two gentle ‘punch-downs’ performed per day. This wine spent 20 months maturing in seasoned 225 litre French oak barrels before being bottled by hand without filtration. 1370 bottles and 50 Magnums were produced.TASTING NOTE
The Pondokrug Cabernet Franc 2018 is bright blood red in colour. The nose is a deep, complex and intriguing mix of bright red cherry fruit, cloves, and some typical pyrazine character. The palate is firm and structured with subtle cherry and black current flavours with hints of herbal mountain vegetation (fynbos). The dusty, chalky tannins hold the fruit flavours into a long, succulent and dry finish. Drink 2024-2036.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.ANALYSIS
Alc: 15.0 % pH: 3.50 TA: 6.0 g/L RS: 1.7 g/L TSO2: 24 mg/L VA: 0.95 g/LACCOLADES
PONDOKRUG CAB FRANC 19: 4 stars PLATTER GUIDE PONDOKRUG CAB FRANC 19: 94 pts TIM ATKIN (MW) PONDOKRUG CAB FRANC 18: 4 stars PLATTER GUIDE PONDOKRUG CAB FRANC 18: 94 pts TIM ATKIN (MW) PONDOKRUG CAB FRANC 18: 93 pts NEAL MARTIN (VINOUS) PONDOKRUG CAB FRANC 17: 4 ½ stars PLATTER GUIDE PONDOKRUG CAB FRANC 17: 94 pts TIM ATKIN (MW) PONDOKRUG CAB FRANC 17: 90 pts NEAL MARTIN (VINOUS) PONDOKRUG CAB FRANC 17: 90 pts WINE SPECTATOR PONDOKRUG CAB FRANC 16: 94 pts TIM ATKIN (MW) PONDOKRUG CAB FRANC 16: 91 pts NEAL MARTIN (VINOUS) PONDOKRUG CAB FRANC 16: 94 pts WINE MAGAZINE PONDOKRUG CAB FRANC 16: 4 ½ stars PLATTER GUIDE PONDOKRUG CAB FRANC 15: 96 pts TIM ATKIN (MW) PONDOKRUG CAB FRANC 15: 4 ½ star PLATTER GUIDE PONDOKRUG CAB FRANC 15: 90 pts NEAL MARTIN PONDOKRUG CAB FRANC 14: 92 pts NEAL MARTIN (Wine Advocate) PONDOKRUG CAB FRANC 14: 94 pts TIM ATKIN (MW) PONDOKRUG CAB FRANC 14: 4 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/LACCOLADES
RIVERSIDE CHEN 21: 4 ½ stars PLATTER GUIDE 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 -
A six bottle case of Steepside Syrah 2017 from our vinotheque.ACCOLADES
STEEPSIDE SYRAH 19: 95 pts TIM ATKIN (MW) 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 -
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). Small parcels of grapes are specifically selected according to ripeness, harvested by hand and vinified separately. Fermentation is carried out by yeast which occurs naturally on the grape skins and in the winery. Red wines spend three to four weeks fermenting and macerating on the skins in small open top tanks with one or two gentle ‘punch-downs’ performed per day. This wine spent 20 months maturing in seasoned 225L and 500L French oak barrels before being bottled by hand and only 2822 bottles and 50 magnums were produced.
TASTING NOTE
Deep, royal red in colour the Steepside Syrah has a brooding dusty red fruit character on the nose with hints of white pepper, cloves, and fynbos. The palate is soft and full with a gentle chalky tannin structure. Ripe spicey fruit flavours are complimented by notes of herbs and pepper. The delicate flavours and tannin linger into a succulent dry finish. Drink 2020-2028VINTAGE 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.ANALYSIS
Alc: 14.5 % pH: 3.79 TA: 5.0 g/L RS: 1.0 g/L TSO2: 44 mg/L VA: 0.70 g/LACCOLADES
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 -
The Topside Syrah vineyard is situated high up on the West facing midslopes of the Stellenbosch Mountain range (Elevation 350m). It was planted in 2006 on rocky soils consisting of sandstone and granite, weathered from the peaks above with a little Malmsbury shale. Vines are unirrigated, trellised and run with the contour in a North South direction. The elevation, soil and aspect all contribute to spicy character and fine tannin structure of this wine. The views from the top of this vineyard west to False Bay and Table Mountain are simply breath taking. All grapes used in producing this wine come from our Topside Syrah block (1.7Ha). Small parcels of grapes are specifically selected according to ripeness, harvested by hand and vinified separately. Fermentation is carried out by yeast which occurs naturally on the grape skins and in the winery. Red wines spend three to four weeks fermenting and macerating on the skins in small open top tanks with one or two gentle ‘punch-downs’ performed per day. This wine spent 20 months maturing in seasoned 225L and 500L French oak barrels before being bottled by hand on 5 December 2019. Only 2822 bottles and 50 magnums were produced.TASTING NOTE
Dark plummy red in colour, the Topside Syrah 2018 is shy at first, but opens into a beautiful bouquet of black fruit with hints of ripe cherries, rose petal and white pepper. On the palate, the wine is tight and savoury with bold, grippy tannin structure. This anchors the powerful dark fruit with hints of herbs and pepper. The finish is long and focussed with juicy, succulent fruit notes and lingering tannin. Drink 2020-2030.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.ANALYSIS
Alc: 14.5 % pH: 3.57 TA: 5.4 g/L RS: 2.0 g/L TSO2: 42 mg/L VA: 0.69 g/LACCOLADES
TOPSIDE SYRAH 19: 4 ½ stars PLATTER GUIDE TOPSIDE SYRAH 19: 96 pts TIM ATKIN (MW) TOPSIDE SYRAH 18: 4 ½ stars PLATTER GUIDE TOPSIDE SYRAH 18: 97 pts TIM ATKIN (MW) TOPSIDE SYRAH 18: 94 pts NEAL MARTIN (VINOUS) TOPSIDE SYRAH 18: 90 pts WINE SPECTATOR TOPSIDE SYRAH 17: 5 stars PLATTER GUIDE TOPSIDE SYRAH 17: 96 pts TIM ATKIN (MW) TOPSIDE SYRAH 17: 94 pts NEAL MARTIN (VINOUS) TOPSIDE SYRAH 17: 90 pts WINE SPECTATOR TOPSIDE SYRAH 16: 94 pts TIM ATKIN (MW) TOPSIDE SYRAH 16: 96 pts NEAL MARTIN (VINOUS) TOPSIDE SYRAH 16: 95 pts DECANTER TOPSIDE SYRAH 16: 93 pts WINE MAGAZINE TOPSIDE SYRAH 16: 4 ½ stars PLATTER GUIDE TOPSIDE SYRAH 15: 96 pts TIM ATKIN (MW) TOPSIDE SYRAH 15: 4 ½ stars PLATTER GUIDE TOPSIDE SYRAH 15: 94 pts NEAL MARTIN TOPSIDE SYRAH 14: 93 pts NEAL MARTIN (Wine Advocate) TOPSIDE SYRAH 14: 95 pts TIM ATKIN (MW) TOPSIDE SYRAH 14: 5 stars PLATTER GUIDE 2017 TOPSIDE SYRAH 12: 95 pts TIM ATKIN (MW) TOPSIDE SYRAH 12: 94 pts NEAL MARTIN (Wine Advocate) TOPSIDE SYRAH 12: 4½ stars PLATTER GUIDE -
A six bottle case of Topside Syrah 2017 from our vinotheque.ACCOLADES
TOPSIDE SYRAH 19: 96 pts TIM ATKIN (MW) TOPSIDE SYRAH 18: 4 ½ stars PLATTER GUIDE TOPSIDE SYRAH 18: 97 pts TIM ATKIN (MW) TOPSIDE SYRAH 18: 94 pts NEAL MARTIN (VINOUS) TOPSIDE SYRAH 18: 90 pts WINE SPECTATOR TOPSIDE SYRAH 17: 5 stars PLATTER GUIDE TOPSIDE SYRAH 17: 96 pts TIM ATKIN (MW) TOPSIDE SYRAH 17: 94 pts NEAL MARTIN (VINOUS) TOPSIDE SYRAH 17: 90 pts WINE SPECTATOR TOPSIDE SYRAH 16: 94 pts TIM ATKIN (MW) TOPSIDE SYRAH 16: 96 pts NEAL MARTIN (VINOUS) TOPSIDE SYRAH 16: 95 pts DECANTER TOPSIDE SYRAH 16: 93 pts WINE MAGAZINE TOPSIDE SYRAH 16: 4 ½ stars PLATTER GUIDE TOPSIDE SYRAH 15: 96 pts TIM ATKIN (MW) TOPSIDE SYRAH 15: 4 ½ stars PLATTER GUIDE TOPSIDE SYRAH 15: 94 pts NEAL MARTIN TOPSIDE SYRAH 14: 93 pts NEAL MARTIN (Wine Advocate) TOPSIDE SYRAH 14: 95 pts TIM ATKIN (MW) TOPSIDE SYRAH 14: 5 stars PLATTER GUIDE 2017 TOPSIDE SYRAH 12: 95 pts TIM ATKIN (MW) TOPSIDE SYRAH 12: 94 pts NEAL MARTIN (Wine Advocate) TOPSIDE SYRAH 12: 4½ stars PLATTER GUIDE
TASTING ROOM HOURS
Fri 10:30 to 13:30
Sat 10:00 to 15:00
Tue – Thu by Appointment
Closed Sundays & Public Holidays
ADDRESS
Keermont Vineyards
Upper Blaauwklippen Road
Stellenbosch, South Africa
SOCIAL MEDIA
CONTACT US
+ 27 (0)21 880 0397
info@keermont.co.za
TASTING ROOM HOURS
Fri 10:30 to 13:30
Sat 10:00 to 15:00
Tue – Thu by Appointment
Closed Sundays & Public Holidays
ADDRESS
Keermont Vineyards
Upper Blaauwklippen Road
Stellenbosch, South Africa
CONTACT US
+ 27 (0)21 880 0397
info@keermont.co.za
© Keermont Vineyards