Description

ABOUT THE PRODUCER:
Californian Samantha O’Keefe has found paradise and the perfect terroir. Tucked into the foothills of a dramatic mountain range at the bottom of Africa, Lismore Estate Vineyards was born alongside her nascent family. A passionate vision, combined with vines planted at 300 metres, which are chilled by winter snow and nourished by the African summer sun, produces classic, cool climate wines which are rich, complex and lovingly hand-crafted.

THE VINTAGE:
Vintage Cool 2020 winter temperatures and high rainfall across the vintage meant that the 2021 harvest commenced around 10 days later than usual, compared to the average over the last five years. The cooler vintage meant that the grapes retained excellent balancing acidity and show excellent aromatic complexity, 2021 is looking like a fantastic vintage.

ABOUT THE VINEYARD:
Having pioneered a new extreme cool climate region in South Africa, Samantha chose to release an Estate Reserve range to illustrate what the Greyton vineyards are capable of. The Overberg region is rapidly earning a reputation for premium, cool climate grapes. Greyton is a designated ward, in recognition of the unique expression of terroir in the wines that are produced there. The wines are produced from very low yielding vines, which are planted at 300 metres above sea level, in the foothills of the Sonderend Mountain Range. The soils are decomposed shale over clay and the vines are dry farmed, which contributes to the deep concentration in the wine. One of the coolest climates in in South Africa, the extreme diurnal temperature shifts create a Syrah that has a very distinct sense of place. Low mean temperatures during February contribute to an extended ripening period, resulting in a harvest period which can be three to four weeks later than traditional wine growing regions in South Africa. The long hang-time encourages concentrated flavours, while the cool evenings retain natural balancing acidity, resulting in a very elegant Syrah.

THE WINEMAKING PROCESS:
Vinified using minimal intervention, allowing the wine showcase this special terroir. 40% of the grapes were whole bunch pressed, and the juice was slowly extracted. The juice was cold settled for 48 hours followed by fermentation with a 28 extended maceration to ensure the desired level of extraction and structure was imparted. The wine was matured in 500-litre Burgundian barrels of which 35% were new, for 11 months.

OUR TASTING NOTES:
The Lismore Estate Reserve Syrah is an elegant, perfumed and bright, with notes of white pepper, classic garrigue and perfumed floral notes of crushed violets. Light and graceful yet structured, this is a crystal clear expression of extreme cool climate Syrah.

GRAPE VARIETY:
Syrah 100%.

AWARDS:
• 94 Points, Wine Advocate, 2024
• 91 Points, Tim Atkin MW, 2024
• 92 Points, Neal Martin, 2024