Voorloper Bush Vines Syrah 2020

New-wave local producers of Syrah seem to want to favour elegance and refinement but let’s not forget that the wines of the Rhône, always held up as a reference point, can be quite beefy – Côte Rôtie, for instance, literally means roasted slopes.

I’ve liked the Voorloper Bush Vine Syrah from Daniël de Waal of Super Single Vineyards for a while now and again the 2020 doesn’t disappoint although it’s not necessarily an easy wine.

From a Stellenbosch vineyard planted to clone SH-99 and untrellised in 1985, winemaking involved whole-bunch fermentation before maturation in third-fill barrels. Rather wild and heady aromatics including red and black berries, lavender, fynbos, earth, some meaty character and strong pepper precede a palate that has dense fruit, arresting acidity and grippy tannins, the finish long and dry. With a moderate alcohol of 13.54%, it’s in no way overblown just immensely characterful. Price: R350 a bottle.

CE’s rating: 95/100.

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