• Out of stock

    A six bottle case of Companion 2016 red

    Delivery the first week of December
  • Out of stock

    50% Chenin blanc; 25% Roussanne; 25% Marsanne 553 bottles Unfiltered

    The Companion White 2022 is a barrel fermented white blend made up of components originally destined for the Keermont Terrasse. In 2022, we had a little bit too much Roussanne and Marsanne for the Terrasse blend, so mixed this with a barrel of Chenin to make up the Companion White.  

    Vinification

    All grapes used in producing our wines are grown on Keermont Vineyards. The farm is situated at the upper reaches of the Blaauwklippen Valley above Stellenbosch. Most of the vineyards grow in deep red clay rich soil derived from sandstone and granite and are surrounded by indigenous mountain vegetation. Small batches of grapes are specifically selected according to ripeness, harvested by hand and vinified separately. White wines are fermented by indigenous yeast in seasoned French oak barrels and then spend a further 12 months maturing on the lees.  

    Tasting Notes

    A polished light-yellow gold colour, this wine has a complex bouquet of prominent citrus and stone fruit with notes of vanilla, freshly green cut apple, Frangipane flowers. The wine has a soft juicy palate with lovely texture and a fresh core. Subtle fruit flavours of peach, litchi and apricot are complimented by hints of sweet spice and vanilla. A limey acidity holds the wine together into a lingering, succulent finish. Best drinking window 2025-2032.  

    ANALYSIS

    Alc: 13.0% pH: 3.31 TA: 5.1g/L RS: 2.3g/L TSO2: 43mg/L VA: 0.54g/L

     
  • Cabernet Sauvignon 54%; Petit Verdot 39%; Syrah 5%; Cabernet Franc 2%   The Keermont Companion Red is a blend of a handful of barrels that were left over after we had made up our Keermont wines for 2021. The components are in no way inferior to the components of the Keermont range, we simply had more barrels of them than were required. Interestingly, the combination has resulted in a very complete, balanced, and delicious wine.

    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 22 months maturing in seasoned French oak barriques before being bottled by hand without filtration on 27/4/23. 1385 bottles were produced.

    TASTING NOTE

    Dark ruby red in colour, this vintage has a bouquet of red berry fruit, cassis, dustiness, and a hint of black pepper. The pallet is fine and structured. The tannins are firm, while the natural acidity keeps the ripe fruit in check. Notes of red fruit, cocoa and cloves linger into a long focussed finish. Best drinking:2026-2030.  

    ANALYSIS

    Alc: 14.0% pH: 3.56 TA: 5.3g/L RS: 1.9g/L TSO2: 106mg/L VA: 0.78g/L  

    VINTAGE REPORT

    2021 will be remembered as an excellent vintage at Keermont. Weather conditions were very favourable beginning with a good wet winter and spring through a very moderate growing season to a late cool and dry harvest. These factors, combined with a lot of hard work in the vineyards led to the development of a healthy, evenly ripened crop. Although our yields per hectare were not particularly high, the quality was very exciting. Grapes came in looking and tasting great with very good acidity and sugar levels. Picking and processing ran really smoothly thanks to lessons learned in previous vintages as well as a massive effort from the picking and winery teams. The Keermont winery crushed a total of 80 tons all sourced from our own vineyards.
  • Terrasse (pronounced ta-ras-ah), is our barrel fermented white blend which is named after the terraced vineyards leading up the Helderberg and Stellenbosch mountainsides on the estate. We have six different white wine varieties planted on these terraces and every year we make up a unique blend. It changes year to year, depending on what the vintage gives us. The core component is always Chenin blanc from our dryland bush vine Bobbejaan Wingerd (Baboon Vineyard), and the trellised Low Road vineyard. Chardonnay gives the blend some 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 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 then spends a further 12 months maturing on the lees. Bottling is carried out by hand with minimal fining or filtration.

    TASTING NOTE

    The Terrasse 2023 has a light green gold colour. The nose is inviting with notes of spring flowers, ripe apricots and citrus, and hints of barley. The palate is soft and luscious at first, then opens up with lovely fresh acidity and an array of flavours like apricot, peach and quince complimented by richer, spicier and savoury fruit. This follows into a lingering aftertaste with a light phenolic grip. A thin line of salty acidity gives the wine a succulent finish. Drink 2024-2035.  

    VINTAGE REPORT

    The 2023 vintage will be remembered as one of the wettest growing seasons that we have had at Keermont. We had a nice cold and wet winter which set the vines on a good course. Spring saw warm conditions with regular rain, ideal for the development of the vine shoots and bunches. The season seemed to be drying out in November and the growth slowed down dramatically. In December we had a wave of cold fronts bringing in more rain and the vineyards started growing again giving the vineyard team lots of canopy work to do to prepare for harvest. Despite all the rain, we were able to stay on top of our schedule and establish healthy crops of grapes on the vines. Harvest started at the end of January, a fairly normal time for us to start picking. Regular showers of rain during harvest meant that we needed to stop and start to give the vineyards a chance to dry out. Harvest lasted about seven weeks and we processed 89 tons in the winery. The grapes were healthy and the young wines are tasting beautiful with great elegance.

    BLOCKS

    BLOCK
    VARIETY
    PLANTED
    YIELD
    %
    Low Road
    Chenin Blanc
    2007
    8.9 ton/Ha
    30%
    Bobbejaan
    Chenin Blanc
    2009
    7.9 ton/Ha
    16%
    Uitkyk
    Sauv Blanc
    1988
    2.5 ton/Ha
    15%
    Low Road
    Chardonnay
    2007
    8.0 ton/Ha
    12%
    Die Terrasse
    Chardonnay
    2009
    1.9 ton/Ha
    3%
    Cottage Lane
    Viognier
    2006
    10.7 ton/Ha
    12%
    Riverside
    Roussanne
    2014
    8.1 ton/Ha
    10%
    Riverside
    Marsanne
    2014
    3.9 ton/Ha
    2%

    ANALYSIS

    Alc: 13.5% pH: 3.23 TA: 6.7g/L RS: 1.2g/L TSO2: 85mg/L VA: 0.41g/L

    ACCOLADES

    TERRASSE 23: 5 stars PLATTER GUIDE 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: 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
  • 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.  

    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 19 November 2021. We produced 3359 bottles and 100 magnums.  

    TASTING NOTE

    Keermont Syrah 2020 has a bright 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 opens up with vibrant flavours cherry and raspberry complimented by savoury spice and a herbal note. A velvety, but tight tannin structure and good natural acid keep the flavours focussed into a tidy succulent finish. Drink 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. The light crop ripened quickly and, although we started picking at a fairly normal time, by 10 March we had picked all of the grapes for our wines.  

    BLOCKS

     
    BLOCK
    VARIETY
    PLANTED
    YIELD
    %
    Steepside
    Syrah
    2005
    2.6 ton/Ha
    35%
    Steepside
    Syrah
    2009
    2.9 ton/Ha
    10%
    Topside
    Syrah
    2006
    2.2 ton/Ha
    40%
    Sweetwater
    Syrah
    2006
    9.0 ton/Ha
    15%

    ANALYSIS

    Alc: 14.5 % pH: 3.63 TA: 5.2 g/L RS: 2.0 g/L TSO2: 54 mg/L VA: 1.09 g/L

    ACCOLADES

    SYRAH 20: 91 pts TIM ATKIN (MW) SYRAH 20: 92 pts NEAL MARTIN (Vinous) SYRAH 19: 94 pts NEAL MARTIN (Vinous) SYRAH 19: 4 ½ stars PLATTER'S GUIDE 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: 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 09: 94 pts NEAL MARTIN (Wine Advocate) SYRAH 09: 91pts JAMES MOLESWORTH (Wine Spectator) SYRAH 09: 94pts PETER MOSER (Falstaff)