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 clay shale, sandstone, and granite, weathered from the peaks above. Vines are unirrigated, trellised and run with the contour in a North South direction. The elevation, soil and aspect all contribute to spicy character, racy acidity, and fine-grained tannin structure of this wine. The West facing position on the mountain means that the vineyard only receives direct sunlight later in the morning than a lot of the other vineyards. The soil is therefore cool in the early morning, warming up with the later afternoon sun. Topside vineyard sits on a terrace completely surrounded by pristine mountain fynbos and proteas, with views west to Table Mountain that are simply breathe taking. All grapes used in producing this wine come from our Topside vineyard (1.7Ha). 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 with one or two gentle ‘punch-downs’ performed per day. After fermentation, this wine spent 20 months maturing in seasoned 500 litre French oak barrels before being bottled by hand without filtration. Only 1867 bottles and 50 magnums were produced.  

TASTING NOTE

Deep ruby red in colour, the Topside Syrah 2019 has Dark-Sweet cherries and prunes on the nose with dried herbs and sandalwood. Soft and gentle on entry, the palate is dense and firm with an earthy dryness. Ripe red fruit fills the mouth with hints of wild herbs and pepper. The tannins are firm, but supple focussing the wine into a long tight dark fruited finish. Suggested drinking window:  2025-2035  

VINTAGE REPORT

The 2019 vintage was quite a challenging one at Keermont. The yields were very small, but the wines have turned out beautifully. Coming off the back of four very dry years in the Cape, the vines were taking a bit strain. Winter rainfall was just slightly below average. Winter temperatures were moderate and perhaps not cold enough for the vines to break dormancy properly as we experienced quite uneven budding in spring. Spring started off cool and wet so the vines grew well, although the disease pressure was quite high. From that point onwards, the vintage conditions were good with some summer rains and warm temperatures without any major heat spikes. Harvest started on 30 January, but was interrupted by 40mm of rain the following week. This pepped the vines up for the final ripening of the grapes. Grapes were harvested in a very healthy condition although sugar levels were generally lower and acidity varied.  

ANALYSIS

Alc: 14.5 % pH: 3.57 TA: 5.4 g/L RS: 2.7 g/L TSO2: 57 mg/L VA: 0.66 g/L

ACCOLADES

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

Keermont Vineyards is a specialist wine estate set in the 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. Vineyard aspects vary from Northeast through North to West facing and they lie 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 29 months maturing in seasoned French oak barriques (first, second, third fill) before being bottled by hand without filtration on 6 August 2020. 3685 bottles and 100 magnums were produced. The Keermont Amphitheatre 2018 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 2018 opens with rich ripe fruit complimented by hints of baked pudding, vanilla, cloves and potpourri. The palate is luxurious and layered. Vibrant red fruit flavours of strawberries and cherries with typical herbal notes with hints if cured meat and sandal wood. Layers of flavour and tannin linger into a long, balanced savoury finish. Drink 2025-2037.

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	15%
High Road	Merlot	2005	3.0 ton/Ha	23%
Cottage Lane	Cab Sauv	2006	5.2 ton/Ha	22%
High Road	Cab Franc	2007	3.1 ton/Ha	14%
Steepside	Petit Verdot	2005	3.2 ton/Ha	17%
Homestead	Malbec	2007	5.5 ton/Ha	8%
Steepside	Mourvedre	2009	2.4 ton/Ha	1%

ANALYSIS

Alc: 15.0 % pH: 3.58 TA: 5.5 g/L RS: 3.1 g/L TSO2: 45 mg/L VA: 0.80 g/L

ACCOLADES

AMPHITHEATRE 18: 4 ½ stars PLATTER GUIDE 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