Olifantsberg Syrah, Breedekloof

A refined Syrah showing complex notes of red and dark berry fruit, with hints of liquorice, chocolate and white pepper. Subtle oak on the palate leads to a finessed finish.

Producer Note

Olifantsberg is passionate about producing authentic wines with a true sense of place, which reflect the unique location of their vineyard. The focus is on sustainable farming and winemaking practices, resulting in limited intervention in the both the vineyard and cellar. They hold the Integrated Production of Wine (IPW) certification for sustainability. The team are fully committed to understanding their terroir and managing their natural resources through conservation, which adds to the singularity of their wines. The unique terroir with its combination of Breede-shale, Renosterveld and sandstone soils, constant winds and elevation, produces concentrated fruit that winemaker Elizma Visser translates into elegant, fresh and age-worthy wines. In Tim Atkin’s 2021 South Africa Report, Elizma was awarded the prestigious Young Winemaker of the Year Award.

Vineyard

The vineyards are located on the fertile slopes of the Olifantsberg Mountain Range where they endure large diurnal temperature differences and strong winds, at altitudes from 300m to 470 metres above sea level. During the winter the mountain peaks are snow covered, keeping the vines dormant for longer. Cold winters, coupled with the summer winds, ensure the slow ripening of the grapes, help to maintain healthy vines and contribute freshness and elegance to the wines. The vines are planted on clay-shale rich soil with a high component of quartz rock. The Syrah vines are grown in five different sites; echalas-trained vines in three sites, and trellised vines in two sites. By selecting from different sites, the nuances of the different aspects of the Olifantsberg Mountain are captured. The cooler micro-climate of the traditional echalas vines results in a higher acidity and a different aromatic complexity, than that found in the trellised vines, resulting in a layered and complex expression of Syrah. The vines are a careful selection of Syrah clones 9, 470, 21 and 22, which further enhances the natural complexity. The grapes are hand-harvested.

Winemaking

Small-batch fermentations took place in open-top fermenters with a proportion of whole bunch clusters included, sometimes up to 100%. The rest of the berries were not crushed but kept whole. Soft pump overs or punch downs were performed for long gentle extraction, with some batches undergoing an extended maceration on the skins to enhance the tannin structure. All the components were basket pressed and aged for 12 months on lees in seasoned French oak barrels of 500 and 300 litres. Malolactic conversion took place in barrel and no racking took place after the malolactic conversion was complete. Each batch was then carefully selected and blended to complement the final product and aged for a further two months in barrel.

Tasting Note

A refined Syrah showing complex notes of red and dark currant berries, delicate floral aromas with hints of liquorice and white pepper. Subtle oak on the palate leads to a sappy, refreshing finish.

Grape 

Syrah