Bright and juicy with vibrant wild cherry and bramble fruit, lifted by floral violet and white pepper spice. Light and elegant but with good structure and fresh acidity. A fresh, lively Syrah full of personality — ready to enjoy now but will deepen beautifully with a bit of age.

The Wine Advocate | RP 96
Published: Dec 20, 2023

Bursting with purple flowers and savory, spicy notes, the 2021 Estate Reserve Syrah was made with 50% whole-cluster fruit, offering a crunchy, red-fruited nose that pops with delightful tertiary expressions of turned earth and pencil lead. Light to medium-bodied and with 12% alcohol, the wine compresses slightly to show an earthy, graphite edge on the palate while slightly stemmy notes sway with fine-grained tannins across the mid-palate. Flavors of potpourri with spiced cherry skin somersault with red and purple flower essences before finishing with hints of pink peppercorn over the elegant and elongated finish. Just under 5,000 bottles were produced after the wine spent 11 months in 25% new oak barrels

Tim Atkin | TA 95
Published: South Africa 2023 Special

I'm very happy with 12% alcohol," says Samantha O'Keefe of the small quantities of this late-picked Syrah from Greyton's distinctly cool climate. Featuring 50% whole bunches, it's a taut, refreshing, intensely peppery, sage and oregano-scented style with cranberry and pomegranate.

Jancis Robinson | JR 17.5
Published: Sep 19, 2023
Drink: 2023-2030

The fruit on this wine is singing like a lark. A proper songbird of a wine. A hint of pepper, pink and purple pepper: molle peppercorns, the cool warmth of Sichuan pepper. Very transparent, full of wild cherries – the fruit on this has spine-tingling purity. Thirst-quenching and limpid. O'Keefe said she's had to release it too early, but I find it joyful. Irresistible, already!

Lismore.co.za

A careful selection of the best of the vintage that exemplifies the extraordinary terroir of Lismore.
An exotic experience which shifts your mind to another place. Cassis, brambles and succulent cherry. White pepper, classic garrigue and the strong floral perfume of crushed violets. Light and elegant, but structured with a fresh acidity. To experience the best this wine has to offer, decanting is suggested.

Wine Made in the Soil
The Syrah is planted in heavy decomposed shale soils with no irrigation. One of the coolest climates in in South Africa with extreme diurnal temperature shifts presents us with a Syrah that has a very distinct sense of place. One that tells its story in the glass.

Winemakers Notes
The grapes were fermented 40% whole bunch in a 5000 litre wooden fermenter with gentle pigeage throughout. The process allowed for a long extraction period which lends to the fruit expression of this wine. The wine was left for a 30 day extended maceration on the skins and then pressed in a traditional baskets press. Matured in 500 litre barrels for 10 months (35% new). Time in the bottle will allow integration, the deepening of layers and full expression of the fruit.