Boekenhoutskloof, Syrah 2013

The Boekenhoutskloof Syrah fruit has been sourced from a specific site in Wellington since 1998, because of the unmistakable character that the decomposed granite exhibits. The SH-21 clone was planted on this SE-facing slope in 1993 to maximize the cooling effect of the prevailing easterly wind. From this vintage, Syrah (a combination SH-21 and SH-1) that is planted at Porseleinberg, was used in the Boekenhoutskloof Syrah. The Porseleinberg site produces components with wonderful freshness, spiciness and structure that will take the longevity of the Boekenhoutskloof to the even greater heights. In 2013 the fruit was harvested over an entire month starting at Porseleinberg on February 8th (reaching phenolic ripeness 14 days earlier than the vineyards in Wellington). The complexity of this wine also benefits from the diversity in grape composition from the nine different picks. The fruit is kept in the cold room overnight before it gets sorted and crushed into concrete fermenters. A 20-30% whole bunches are put into the bottom of the tank of most batches to get a slight effect of carbonic maceration. After 4 days of cold soaking, the fermentation starts by only using wild yeasts. The primary fermentation is done within two and a half weeks with the temperature that peaks at around 28-29C. During the fermentation the wine gets a delestage 2 – 3 times per day. Pigeage is rarely done on the Syrah. It also received a post-fermentation maceration for another week before being pressed to 2nd filled Saury barrels to undergo MLF. After 18 months in barrel the wine gets a light egg-white fining and racking before its final 8 months in oak. A half of the blend was matured in two older 2500L French oak foudre for the final 8 months. 1035 cases were bottled in 2013.

• Alcohol: 13.91% vol
• RS: 2.0 g/l
• TA: 5.2 g/l
• pH: 3.85
• W.O. Coastal Region