Provenance

Wine Cellar Private Client

Critics Ratings

2010:
'Very aromatic even when just poured. Round and sweet but not heavy and with a strong mineral element to it. Bone dry. Intense Syrah character and very long.' - Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, 17/20 (Sep 2023)

'Shows weight and cut, displaying a core of crushed plum, blackberry coulis and raspberry fruit flavors wrapped in singed bay leaf, mesquite and iron notes. Long, fleshy and mouthwatering, with persistent ferrous and woodsy accents. A serious new wine. Syrah. Drink now through 2018.' - James Molesworth, Wine Spectator, 93/100 (Jun 2013)

2011:
'Wow. This delivers a riveting display of singed anise, black tea, mulled blood orange and incense aromas, backed by a racy-edged core of dark cherry, raspberry and blackberry purée notes. Then everything pulls together on the graphite-edged finish and just smolders there for a while. On point right now, but no rush. Syrah.' - Wine Spectator, 94/100

'The oddball in this array of beauties. They were still learning how to cope with drought. Very deep blackish garnet. Meaty, concentrated nose. Powerful liquorice essence. Still a bit of tannin on the end. I suspect the tannin will outlast the fruit. But there is admirable fruit here too so I could be proved wrong.' - Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, 16.5/20 (Sep 2023)

2012:
'Quite a subdued, dusty mineral nose with broody pithy black fruits, stony hints, dried fennel and sweet lavender. More elegant and loose knit on the palate, the tannins are supple, polished and elegant, even sweet. Still full of potent youthful black mineral laced fruits with notable elegance and finesse. A real beauty that’s ready to go now but certainly not showing its age.' - Greg Sherwood MW, 96+/100 (2023)

‘2012 is superb! Many years ahead of it, but already shows complexity in perfumed aromas and super-subtle but intense palate, with a truly rare refinement. Also rare is lack of oak influence - in concrete ‘egg’ for a year. Tiny yield, bunch-pressed. Bone-dry; 13.5% alcohol; big tannins also a touch dry - give them time.’ - Platter’s SA Wine Guide 2015, 5*

'You’d expect a wine produced on this extreme, windblown site in the Swartland to be wild and unruly. But this is surprisingly elegant and subtle. Fermented entirely in concrete, it’s floral and scented, with silky tannins, some pepper and a core of strawberry succulence on top of mineral, stony acidity. This will be released before the more backward 2011, but it’s still a wine that will age well. A Cape classic in the making. Drink: 2012-22' - Tim Atkin MW, SA Special Report 2014, 96/100

2013:
'60% foudre /40% concrete. Consistently an opaque red black colour. Lifted and perfumed with dried lavender, violets, fynbos and pithy black cherry notes. Another supple, vibrantly fresh, pinpoint palate with elegance and harmony but also intensity, purity and seamlessly tight knit powdery tannins and an exotic salty cassis reduction hint on the finish. A really spellbinding vintage. Love it!' - Greg Sherwood MW, 97/100 (2023)

‘It’s remarkable to think that this is only the fourth release from this extreme, windblown site in the Swartland. Aged in foudres and concrete eggs, it’s all about the intensity and focus of the fruit: dense, powerful and compact with thick tannins and the power to age. One of the Cape’s very best Syrah vineyards. Drink 2016-23.’ – Tim Atkin MW, SA Special Report 2015, 96/100

'The fourth vintage from this picturesque site on steep slopes. Aged in foudres and concrete eggs, it’s all about the intensity and focus of the fruit focused, dense and compact with thick tannins and the power and structure to age. A Cape classic in the making.' - Tim Atkin MW, Decanter, 96/100

‘The 2013 Porseleinberg uses whole bunch fruit and is matured 60% in foudre and 40% in concrete eggs. Winemaker Callie Louw has fashioned a wine that has a very composed, quite intense and voluminous bouquet - black cherries and iris, with less of the violets and more a brooding marine influence that with aeration takes control of the aromatics. The delineation here is very impressive. The palate is grippy on the entry, the terroir permeating this Syrah from start to finish. With a Cornas-like brutishness counterpoised with stunning delineation and focus, this is a serious Syrah for the Syrah Swartland afficionado. It has the presence to last 15-20 years and represents one of the region's best contributions to the vintage. Good luck finding a bottle! Drink 2020 - 2040.’ – Neal Martin, Wine Advocate, 95/100 (Nov 2015)