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Boschkloof

2020

Syrah

Stellenbosch - South Africa
Shelf Talker Spec Sheet Wine Label Bottle Image

About

Cabernet Sauvignon is the most planted red variety in Stellenbosch, but it might be Syrah that can achieve the highest highs…albeit in certain pockets. Polkadraai is the sub-region of Stellenbosch where so many exciting things are happening (like the new chapter at Boschkloof) and Syrah is at the front of this excitement. Boschkloof, unlike most Stellenbosch producers, is renowned for Syrah. The perfect marriage of peppery/savoriness with rich fruit is what truly puts the grape on a pedestal here. In 2019, Tim Atkin, MW, named his red wine of the year a Boschkloof Syrah from the 2017 vintage. The 2020 vintage continues in the same ethos that has always driven Reenen’s winemaking style: hands-off approach, aiming for the typical Syrah perfume and fruit profile to be dominant. Ripening conditions in Stellenbosch were excellent in 2020, with moderate temperatures and dry conditions.

Clones SH21 & SH99 were handpicked and fermented with ambient and inoculated yeast, roughly 30% whole-bunch, in open-top stainless-steel tanks. The wine sat on the skins for 12 days prior to being gently pressed to old 400L French barrels (15% new and the rest 2nd and 3rd passage), where it aged for 14 months. Malolactic fermentation occurred naturally in barrel and a small dose of sulfur dioxide was added post-ML. The wine was bottled without fining, a light sheet filtration at bottling and a small dose of SO2.

Stats

  • Grapes: 100% Syrah
  • Vineyard: Boschkloof Estate
  • Vine Age: 27-years-old
  • Soil Type: Decomposed granite over ironstone
  • Viticulture: Practicing organic
  • Fermentation: Native & Inoculated – stainless-steel open-top tanks (30% whole-cluster)
  • Skin Contact: 12 days
  • Aging: 14 months in old 400L French oak (15% new)
  • Alcohol: 14%
  • pH: 3.61
  • Total Acidity: 5.3 g/L
  • Total SO2: 94 ppm
  • Total Production: 917 cases
  • UPC: 6008409000168

Tasting Note

Another vintage of impeccable Syrah handling by Mr. Borman. Black fruits weave between black pepper, violet, sage, and tobacco, all supported by a backdrop of clear acidity and fine-grained tannins. Very smooth texture, generous weight, and a bright finish.

Press & Reviews

Tim Atkin, MW

94

"If you can't track down or afford a bottle of Epilogue, Reenen Borman's regular Syrah is not a bad substitute. Sourced from cooler, south-east facing slopes on the farm, it's a beautifully weighted red, with nuanced 15% new oak, rosemary and sage aromas, notes of tobacco leaf, red cherry, raspberry and Asian spices and fine-grained tannins. 2023-30."

Wine Enthusiast

90

"This one has a spicy character displaying notes of black pepper and cumin on the nose and palate. Flavors of mulberry and cherries blend with light notes of eucalyptus and lead to a lasting finish."

- Jesica Vargas

Vinous

92

"The 2020 Syrah comes from granite soils from two vineyards, matured in used oak with 15% new 400-litre barrels. It has an elegant bouquet with wild strawberry, dried violet and a hint of lavender. The palate is medium-bodied with fine structure, quite linear and focused with impressive mineralité on the finish. Not quite as complex as the superb 2018, but only a whisker away."

- Neal Martin
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Producer


Boschkloof

Region


Stellenbosch

Country


South Africa

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