Glenelly The Glass Collection Syrah 2016

You tend to think of Glenelly in Stellenbosch as a specializing in the Bordeaux varieties when it comes to red wines what the May de Lencquesaing of Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande fame as proprietor and given its proximity to Rustenberg, home of the acclaimed Peter Barlow Cabernet Sauvignon, but the property also has plantings of Syrah, and this variety appears both in the Estate Red (as used to be the custom in Bordeaux a long while ago) as well as on its own as part of the Glass Collection range.

Use whatever receptacle is to hand.

The single-variety version probably doesn’t attract the attention it deserves, the current-release 2016 as good as ever. Winemaking involving 40% whole-bunch fermentation and 12 months of maturation in old oak, the nose shows red and black fruit, some floral perfume, an attractive herbal note, pepper and spice while the palate is marked by juicy fruit, fresh acidity and crunchy tannins. Wine Cellar price: R115 a bottle.

Editor’s rating: 91/100.

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