2016 Porseleinberg

The 2016 Porseleinberg comes from a season when there was just 221mm of rain when the river from which the vines are irrigated completely dried up (Louw's house water stopped that May). So it was a very small crop of 2-3 tons/hectare, around 40% from the new vines, though these struggled. "You had to look down the entire row for grapes," Louw remembers. It was matured for 12 months in 70% foudres and 30% concrete eggs. It has a comparatively rich bouquet with mulberry, raspberry, leather and a touch of wild mint. It is perhaps not quite as complex as the previous vintage, but it gains delineation with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins, mainly black fruit with a dash of white pepper, somewhat reductive toward the finish that shaves away a bit of precision. However, this is one vintage that certainly meliorates in the glass and gains weight and depth.

100% Syrah. On the back of the driest winter in decades a very small crop (yields 2–3 t/ha) was the result. Just 221 mm annual rainfall, but the older vines seemed more tolerant to the dry conditions. This was the first of three drought years in a row. ‘The police patrolled the river to stop farmers pumping water out because it was meant for the west coast.’ The growing season was warm and dry, putting more pressure on the moisture levels of the soils. The small crop was clean and ripened very quickly. Harvest started early, end January, and was done by mid February. Grapes were hand-picked and transferred as whole bunches to concrete tanks. The bunches were foot-stomped, after which natural fermentation took place. During the ferment two pumpovers were done per day until the fermentation was complete. Maturation took place over 12 months in 70% wood (foudre) and 30% concrete egg. Bottling was done early March 2017. TA 5 g/l, pH 3.9, RS 2 g/l. Very dark crimson. Very intense nose. Sweet and gentle and you’d never guess this was from a drought year. So different from the 2011. Why? ‘We were just farming the site better’, according to winemaker Callie Louw. It wasn’t completely dry-farmed in 2016 – ‘We started with irrigation when the river ran dry in January.’ Throbbing with fruit and an undertow of liquorice. (JR)

An expressive nose of white pepper, melted chocolate, sliced plums and pitted cherries. Full-bodied with very fine tannins. Vibrant and expressive on the palate with succulent red and black fruit. Cherries and blackberries. Bright acidity lifts everything up and is further pushed by the vibrant spice. Clove, coriander and white pepper. Drink or hold.