Provenance

Wine Cellar Private Client

Critics Ratings

‘If ever a South African wine tasted of specific place it is Porseleinberg, the Cape’s answer to Cornas in terms of its dense, compact structure, but with a personality that is all its own: wild, savoury and unruly with tannins that can be demanding in their youth. Fermented with 100% whole bunches and aged in a combination of concrete eggs and foudres, it’s ripe, but not overly so, with notes of garrigue and tangerine and a stony, compact finish. 2022-35.’ - Tim Atkin MW, SA Special Report 2018, 96/100

'No spring, just straight from a very dry winter into a dry summer with very dry conditions with rivers drying up in January. 1-2 t/ha yields. Nose shows a youthful sweetness of red berries, red plum sweet garrigue and dried violet flowers. The palate delivers massive weight and concentration of sweet black cherry and cassis fruit with layers of liquorice, tar, blackberry compote and subtle salty toffee and vanilla spice on the finish. An exotic, opulent but pretty vintage drinking very well now.' - Greg Sherwood MW, 96/100 (2023)

'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.' - Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, 17/20 (Sep 2023)

‘Sophisticated and cerebral Syrah from a special Swartland site. 2016’s piercing spice perfumes, toned fruit and same fine musculature as 2015 (4.5 stars, 93 pts) promise a decade+ of sheer drinking pleasure. Hands-off, whole-bunch natural vinification; year large old oak, 30% concrete ‘egg’.’ - Platter’s SA Wine Guide 2019, 5* (95/100)

'An impressive offering generously loaded with aromatics of black plum, baked earth, molasses, charcoal and savoury black fruits with a piquant black peppercorn hint. The palate is slightly grainy but soft, sumptuous and creamy textured, showing what an opulent, forward, extroverted offering this 2016 is. Far more accessible, overtly hedonistic and plush in the mouth with a broad, expansive mouthfeel, vibrant focused extract and intensity, a subtle but elegantly fresh acidity and a dense, compact mineral-laden olive tapenade tinged finish. Drink this vintage now and over the next 8 to 15+ years.' - Greg Sherwood MW, 94+/100 (Jul 2020)

‘Ripe and inviting, with warm plum sauce and raspberry pâte de fruit notes wrapped in red licorice and roasted vanilla details. A sanguine streak contrasts with the fruit and enlivens the finish. Youthfully compact, but this displays serious latent length. Syrah. Best from 2020 through 2029. 1,000 cases made.’ - James Molesworth, Wine Spectator, 93/100 (Jun 2019)

'Porseleinberg, the Swartland property owned by Boekenhoutskloof, has just released the 2016 vintage of its Syrah and it’s probably the least esoteric vintage to date. Aromatically, there’s a hint of reduction, more a point of interest than anything else, before red and black fruit, olive tapenade, spice and fynbos. The palate displays great depth of fruit, fresh acidity and lovely ripe fruit tannins – it’s definitely not as grippy as the 2015 and hence more immediately approachable. It gives great pleasure now but it will also be fascinating to see how it’s shaping 10 years down the line.' - Chrisitan Eedes, Winemag.co.za, 93/100 (Jun 2018)