2011 marked Trizanne’s venture into Elim but it was only with Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon at the time. Fast forward a couple of years and she was intrigued by the Syrah down there as a yang to the Swartland’s yin completing her Syrah journey (at the time – pre-Sondagskloof). Elim allowed for Trizanne to really explore the perfumed and delicate aromas of Syrah rather than the more fruit-driven and powerful characteristics she had been working with in Swartland. The fruit for this vintage comes from three distinct sites, each from a different clone and on varying soils ranging from shale, gravel and ferricrete.
The fruit was entirely hand-harvested and destemmed. Fermentations occurred outdoors in one-ton open top stainless-steel fermenters. Daily punchdowns were used for extraction and after ten days the wine was dry. It then spent another five days post-ferment on the skins. The wine was basket-pressed to old French barriques where the wine aged with frequent topping and one sulfur addition. After 11 months the barrels were racked to tank and settled, then bottled without fining or filtration and just another light sulfur addition.