We can now offer one of our most anticipated releases of the year, combining a firm staff favourite with a vintage that has hugely impressed us in South Africa: Porseleinberg Syrah 2024.
The Syrah made at this extreme Swartland property captured our imaginations when we first tasted the 2017 vintage. First produced in 2010, it has quickly gained a big reputation thanks in no small part to the tireless work and passion of Callie Louw. Callie left in anticipation of starting his own project in 2025, so 2024 will be the last vintage he saw through harvest, fermentation and elèvage.
2024 has proven to be an outstanding vintage for Syrah in South Africa, with a dry growing season aided by winter rains that restored the water table. The harvest was early, and the fruit concentrated, ripe and full of flavour. This year has 90% whole bunch, treated in the same submerged cap system that Callie developed over the years, with maturation in 90% foudres and 10% concrete eggs for 12 months.
Tim Atkin is full of praise for the latest release, calling it "One of the New World's greatest Syrahs" in his 98 point review. We tasted the wine with Marc Kent, the man who originally put the vineyard and Callie together, and (a) were unanimously impressed and (b) think that the 2024 pulls off quite the feat, combining a pure, velvety and mouthcoating texture with the cool, chalky and chiselled minerality that the vineyard site gives. Porseleinberg is a wine that has somehow continued to improve year on year (though this is only the 15th vintage) and the 2024 easily vies for one of the top spots, whilst at the same time having a character all of its own. It is a wine that we recommend and endorse whole-heartedly.
The wine is currently lying in South Africa and will be shipping to the UK for November this year.
Porseleinberg is one of those wines where the analytical numbers don't make sense, as it has a pH of 4.06 but retains remarkable freshness and acidity, partly from the 100% whole bunch fermentation. Aged in large Stockinger foudres and 10% concrete eggs, it’s a denser wine than the 2023 release, with stony intensity, aromas of clove, fennel and tomato leaf, blackberry and North African spice flavours and seductive tannins. One of the New World’s greatest Syrahs. Drink: 2028-40
This is another outstanding iteration of Porseleinberg and one which will compete with the 2023, 2019, 2017 & 2013 for being the ‘best ever’ vintage from this exceptional vineyard. A deep purple colour. The nose exudes class. An intense and aromatic perfume combining milled black pepper with subtle notes of herbs, olives, mint and thyme reminiscent of the ‘fynbos’ found in the Western Cape. This is a powerful, heady, concentrated wine with gorgeous, ripe, blue and black fruits just like a top-level Syrah from the Northern Rhône. Incredible purity and focus. On the palate the wine is powerful and mouthcoating. Fuller in velvety texture than some previous vintages but still possessing the fresh chalky acidity, tension and balance which this vineyard is capable of. Very spicy, complex and layered. Amazing length with a clean and fresh ‘lifted’ menthol finish. An absolute classic which delivers immediately but has the potential to keep and improve for many years hence.
