Rhône theme
Timed Online Auction, 30 January - 10 February 2025
Rhône - South Africa
About the SessionOver the past decade South African Rhône-style offerings have witnessed an explosion in popularity, led by the Swartland in the 2010s and subsequently spreading across the Cape.
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About this Item
Since the inaugural release, the Damascene Stellenbosch Syrah is sourced from the Bottelary and Polkadraai Hills - each site adding a building block to the wine. The vineyard on Polkadraai Hills was planted on a southeast slope in 1996, and contributes perfume and spice to the wine. While the structure and fruit intensity comes from a vineyard of low-yielding granitic soils in the Bottelary.
Provenance
Wine Cellar Private Client
Critics Ratings
'A combination of Polkadraai and Bottelary grapes, winemaking involving multiple fermentations. A compelling nose of red and black berries, black pepper, fynbos, incense and wilted rose. The palate is rich and dense in the best way - intense but not weighty, this has great freshness and lovely ripe tannins in addition to impressive fruit. Super detail and energy, this immediately places among the best in the country.' - Christian Eedes, Winemag.co.za, 97/100 (Sept 2019)
'The exciting Damascene project combines Syrah grapes from the Polkadraai and Bottelary to make this decomposed granite-based red. Intense, deeply coloured and smoky, with smooth, textured, palate-caressing tannins, blackberry fruit, some Asian spices and a long, stony finish. Up a point with another year in bottle, this is very promising from Rhône nut Jean Smit. 2021-26.' - Tim Atkin MW, SA Special Report 2020, 94/100
