Provenance

Wine Cellar Private Client

Critics Ratings

2014:
'Vintage coming off a very wet winter with massive rainfall. A big yielding vintage as well with 8 t/ha compared to circa 5 t/ha normally. Quite an earthy, plummy savoury nose with cured meats, dried lavender, potpourri, and a smoky, railway yard complexity. The palate shows delicious freshness, vibrant acids and a savoury melange of salty cassis, oyster shell and light soy hints, finishing with mouth coating chalky tannins without being obtrusive. A slightly unique expression but beautiful nonetheless.' - Greg Sherwood MW, 95+/100 (2023)

‘Singular Shiraz from a special Swartland site. Whole-bunch natural ferment, 14 like 13 aged a year in large older oak – 12 was unoaked. Riveting perfume (smoke, spice, flowers) leads to supple, intense palate, its fine muscularity matched by depth of fruit.’ – Platter’s SA Wine Guide 2017, 5*

‘Porseleinberg's 2014 Syrah has a very pure bouquet of blackberry, briary, hints of crushed violet and iris all with wonderful delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannin. Compared to other vintages that I have tasted, this 2014 feels quite structured and perhaps a little more masculine than previous vintages, the schistous terroir expressive towards the mineral-driven finish. It constitutes one of the most intellectual wines from Porseleinberg that I have tasted, maybe less opulent than previous vintages, yet with great complexity and breeding.’ – Neal Martin, Wine Advocate, 96/100 (Apr 2017)

‘Porseleinberg is one of the greatest Syrah sites in the southern hemisphere. The vines are still young, but this brutal vineyard produces wines of incredible intensity and focus. Entirely whole bunch fermented and aged in foudres, this is slightly more forward than some recent releases, but still needs time. Fynbos, dark berry fruit, blood and stony minerality combine on the palate. Drink: 2018-26’ – Tim Atkin MW, SA Special Report 2016, 96/100

2015:
'“A stand-alone vintage” as Callie says. This shows a balance between power and finesse a la Northern Rhone with potpourri, dried perfumed lavender, red cherry spice, black berry and subtle smoky reductive cassis hints. In the mouth this is classically taut and precise framed by delicious ‘architecturally soaring’ acids, and incredibly dense fine grained chalky mineral tannins that show a harmoniously balanced power and intensity. A simply profound expression of Syrah.' - Greg Sherwood MW, 97+/100 (2023)

‘The 2015 Porseleinberg Syrah contains whole-bunch fruit matured in 90% foudres and 10% concrete eggs. It has a very well defined bouquet of brambly black fruit and white pepper, and an engaging sense of coolness pervades these aromatics. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannin and almost Northern Rhône in style, offering ample freshness yet at the same time a brooding intensity. There is quality and refinement here from start to finish. A superb Syrah from winemaker Callie Louw, but one I feel needs two or three years in bottle. Want serious, world class South African wine? Get in line here.’ - Neal Martin, Vinous, 96/100 (Aug 2018)

'Sophisticated, like its minimalist embossed label. Cerebral Syrah from a special Swartland site, hands-off, whole-bunch natural vinification. Riveting perfume, supple palate, fine muscularity. One year in large older oak, 10% in concrete 'egg'' - Platter's SA Wine Guide 2018, 4.5*

'Perhaps ailing a little bit from sulphurous reduction, but there’s plenty of dense fruit on the nose too. The palate is gorgeously ripe and pure with smoke, red fruit and pepper spice. Finely ground tannins, naturally bright acidic lift. Perhaps not the all-singing, all-dancing version I was expecting, but still effortlessly attractive.' - Richard Hemming MW, JancisRobinson.com, 17/20 (Sep 2018)

'Sometimes you have to remind yourself how recently this amazing site was planted, making its first wine in 2010. But what a wine this is. If it grown in the Rhône, it would sell for twice the price or more. It’s the Cornas of the Cape: compact, savoury and deeply coloured, with layers of dark, inky fruit, spicy tannins and a combination of freshness and understated power. Drink 2020-32' - Tim Atkin MW, SA Wine Report 2017, 97/100

2016:
'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)

'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

2017:
'Shows again a big ripeness but with perhaps more restraint than the 2016. But of course another very dry season that was cooler with some later rains allowing 3 t/ha cropping. A very savoury Rhoney nose with aromatics of sweet herbs, garrigue, wood spice with weightless elegance, subtle restraint and incredible finesse. Texturally pinpoint but a bit of a sleeper still.' - Greg Sherwood MW, 96/100 (2023)

‘This Swartland property is owned by Boekenhoutskloof but run independently by gifted winemaker Callie Louw. Alive and dynamic, this soars out of the glass, a touch of firework smoke to the vibrant berry fruits. Incredible energy and elegance on the palate, great freshness and focus, tiny tensile tannins and zesty acidity. Very long, this crackles on and on. The handsome labels are produced at the estate on a vintage Heidelberg press – but don’t assume there is any style over substance here: the 2017 Porseleinberg is a truly great Syrah.’ – Matt Walls, Decanter.com, 98/100 (Sep 2022)

‘Has any brand in South Africa achieved quite so much as Porseleinberg in less than a decade? This is the best vintage yet from this steep, brutal, extreme schist-rich site and that's saying a good deal. Big, bold and intense, with incredible, almost feral intensity, incense, tar and black pepper aromas and layers of inky dark fruit. A stunning wine from a stunning site, made by a gem of a winemaker. 2022-35’ - Tim Atkin MW, SA Special Report 2019, 98/100

‘The 2017 Porseleinberg has a compelling bouquet of blackberry, fynbos, Provancal herbs and veins of blue fruit, all showing stunning delineation and composure. The palate is medium bodied with fine-grained tannins and pure blackberry ans raspberry fruit laced with thyme, sage and white pepper. This is utterly refined and intense yet sophisticated. A quite stunning wine.’ – Neal Martin, Vinous, 97/100 (Oct 2019)