Porseleinberg 2022
By Christian Eedes, 10 October 2024
2
Swartland was characterised by extremely hot weather in the lead-up to harvest 2022 and you must wonder if this hasn’t had an impact on the resulting Syrah from Porseleinberg, a wine with an alcohol of 13.3% and said to have a pH of 4.1.
Winemaking involved submerged cap maceration before maturation lasting 12 months, 85% in foudre and 15% in concrete. The aromatics are enticing enough with notes of red berries, pomegranate, orange, fynbos, cured meat and white pepper. The palate, however, has a slightly “soupy” quality – good fruit definition but a bit short of drive and tannic grip. Perhaps a vintage for completists rather than those new to the label, especially given its price tag of R800 a bottle.
CE’s rating: 94/100.
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Jos | 10 October 2024
The review is a bit confusing… it reads like you’re implying it’s not particularly good, to the point where mainly people wanting to collect should purchase it for the sake of completing their collection, but then giving it 94 points which implies it’s a very good wine.
Usually when you give 94 points, even for expensive bottles, you heap plenty of praise, but this reads like a sub 90 point review.
Christian Eedes | 10 October 2024
Hi Jos, It certainly is not a sub-90 point wine but what I am trying to convey is that I think there are several current-release examples of Syrah that are better, such as Schist Roundstone 2022 from Mullineux and Girl Next Door 2023 from Savage, both of which I rated 98.