Syrah

Pairs well with roast leg of lamb, steak and chops, venison, osso bucco, barbecued spareribs, hamburgers and strong cheeses.

Nestled between Elim and Cape Agulhas and just 9km from the sea lies the secluded Strandveld Vineyards. This wind-swept winery derives its name from the belt of land which spans the tempestuous tip of Africa’s southernmost coastline. At almost 35 degrees below the equator this part of our fair Cape is characterised by severe winds billowing mist and below average temperatures. A unique combination of maritime climate alternating sites and diverse soil types work together to create the terroir which distinguishes the wines of Strandveld Vineyards. It was in 1488 that Bartholomeu Diaz and his team of Portuguese sailors first laid eyes on this corner of the continent. Centuries later similarly intrepid explorers in their infinite wisdom realised the potential such a richness of environment could produce. Inspired by these individuals it was in 2001 that a group of enthusiastic wine lovers turned to the original navigation maps to seek out potential new vineyard sites equally undeterred by the fierce storms and blustering gales that now give rise to the characteristic grapes and consequentially distinctive Strandveld Vineyards wines.

The growing season started with a very good Winter with enough cold units and good rain, but when Spring set in, the Winter unfortunately didn't stop. It was still cold and wet with lots of rain in the Cape South Coast region in November, which is not at all ideal during flowering season and so many wet days created the right conditions for the development of severe Downy Mildew throughout the region. This can have a devastating effect on the canopy and in the grape bunches and can cause a dramatic loss of the crop. Our vines were still sensitive after last year's hail damage, their reserves were not what they should have been and fertility in the buds was less than ideal. Add to that the cold, wet, windy conditions during flowering season and then the Downy Mildew. The resulting small crop made intense wines with loads of fruit and concentration. Harvesting was almost 10 days late and we only picked the Shiraz in the middle of March.

The wine was barrel matured for in French oak barrels for 20 months 35% new and the rest 2nd and 3rd fill.

Due to the challenging vintage, we did not follow our normal procedure of cold soaking prior to fermentation, we inoculated the whole berries immediately after destemming as to get a control over unwanted wild yeast. Fermentation was done in Stainless steel tanks with daily pump overs. Skin contact was also less than normal with only 10 days prior to to pressing.