| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | South Africa |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
Given its consistently outstanding quality, it’s easy to forget that the average age of Porseleinberg's 14 hectares of vineyards is only seven years' old. Showing what Callie Louw calls a "little more crunch" in 2021, this is a Syrah with time on its side. Wild herb aromas of sage, oregano and rosemary introduce you to a palate that's dense yet refined, with lots of whole bunch spice and structure, negligible oak influence, detailed, layered tannins, some underlying grip and layers of dark berry fruit. One of the world's great reds from a very special site. 2025-32
My favorite of the three vintages in this flight is the Porseleinberg 2021 Swartland Syrah. This was a cool vintage, but it was not abundant in rain, seeing only 390 millimeters. However, the vineyard team could pick at perfect ripeness. The aromas here are lifted and bright. There is a burst of fruit that reminds me of wild cherry and dark plum. Winemaker Callie Louw wants as little sugar as possible, ideally below two grams per liter or even below one gram per liter. In this case, we have 1.7 grams per liter. This vintage also marks one of the latest harvests. Fruit came off the vines starting on March 4th, and that extra hang time results in a nuanced and delicate expression with dark fruit, spice and mineral. A ferrous aroma of iron ore gives the wine sharpness and precision.
One of Callie's two personal favourites, together with 2017. Long harvest with fruit from 12.8 to 14.5% potential alcohol. Return of some conventional fermentations to give back some tannic bite. This wine has come on leaps and bounds with the extra year in bottle. Initially tight but with a brilliant purity of fruit, with air there are sparks of pepper, game, pressed flowers and flinty, stony earth. The palate is so vibrant, chalky tannins meeting tangy fruits. Focused but with great intensity, this will benefit from more time in bottle but some time in the glass (and then 6 hours of air) reveal just how fantastic a wine this will be in time. That a wine can have such precision and yet be so characterful with a clear sense of place is quite brilliant. It is easy to see why Callie loves this wine - it feels something like the 2017, but with the flair woven into high definition fruit and riper, cleaner, finer tannins. Superb.
Mid-ruby colour thanks to the submerged cap, the nose to the 2021 needs a little coaxing given its youth, but unfurls in the glass to reveal bay leaf, brine and high-toned bramble fruit. The palate is driven but elegant, a core of blue and red fruits framed by fine but firm tannins. Savoury throughout, with notes of rosemary, fennel and a hint of iron. The fruit wraps up this savoury complexity to offer superb balance. This is another outstanding vintage from Callie Louw, who has built Porseleinberg into one of South Africa's great wines, and a firm Farr Vintners favourite. Give it a year or two in bottle, then drink over two decades.
