Languishing on a beach, watching the clouds pass overhead, with only the promise of cold white wine and a luxurious seaside cottage to retire to, one might be forgiven for overlooking the actual WILDNESS of the Cape. So wild that the Portuguese, while trying to gain access to land, wrote epic poems and legends about the Titan, Adamastor. According to Portuguese poet Luiz Vaz de Camoes he was turned into the jagged mountain at the Southernmost tip of Africa as punishment for coveting a nymph. Doomed for all eternity to remain locked in stone, raging with all the power of the wind, sea, and rain, at whoever dared approach these shores. Kind of like that ominous drumming that draws you into the Jumanji game. (I’m sorry, it’s all I’m hearing writing this.) Back in the day, a trip to where the oceans meet was much more than a leisurely cruise along the coast it was an epic trek - the level of ease we now enjoy, a testament to the people who came before us.
Given the context, you can understand our fascination with this forbiddingly idyllic place and the people who live here. The Agulhas Wine Triangle, as they call it, and more recently the title of a non-profit company established in 2019 to showcase the area for all its bounty, wine chief amongst these. The rich biodiversity of flourishing flora, abundant birdlife, protected wetlands, and great white sharks roaming the ocean. Are all inherent to the unique expressions certain grape varieties adopt here. The custodians of these grapes, a handful of intrepid wineries, ten to be exact. Including Black Oystercatcher Wines, Ghost Corner, Land’s End, Strandveld Vineyards, The Giant Periwinkle, and Trizanne Signature Wines from the Elim wine ward; Sijnn Wines from Malgas; Olivedale Private Vineyards from Swellendam; Lomond Wines from Cape Agulhas; and The Drift Estate from Napier.
One of these uniquely suited grape varieties is Syrah. Note the use of Syrah, in reference to the more restrained, elegant, cool climate character the grape inhabits here, rather than the warmer, BIGGER character of Shiraz. To get a handle on Agulhas Syrah, we solicited adventurer winemaker Conrad Vlok of Strandveld Vineyards for the 101 and received the following:
What makes AWT Syrah unique?
Our Syrah style is more elegant with fine tannins from slow ripening and prominent pepper and fynbos aromas, with an aftertaste of salty wet slate.
Why is the terroir suited to Syrah?
Syrah can grow in many different terroirs. It can take a beating from wind, heat, and drought. In our case, the windy conditions with our poor gravel soils are more than enough to tame this vigorous cultivar. The resulting smaller berries with low yields make excellent wines.
Why is cool-climate Syrah different from warmer climate Syrah?
The Rotundone chemical compound in Shiraz grapes, responsible for the pepper flavour, is heat-sensitive - that is the main reason for the difference.
What impact do the wind and ocean have on the cultivar?
Strong wind temporarily stops the photosynthesis of the vine, forcing it into survival mode and causing a much longer ripening period than in fertile valley areas. The proximity to the ocean means that our cool sea breezes carry a salt content that sticks to our vines and becomes part of the saline flavour profile.
Do you have an interesting anecdote to add?
Some of the best examples of Elim Shiraz are from the very cool vintages with final alcohol between 13 and 13.5 %
How does the soil impact the wine:
The Koffieklip gravel soil's low pH gives our grapes natural low pH. Even in the final wine, a pH of 3.4 is the norm, giving our Syrah an excellent ageing potential.
As such, the good people at Onswijn have taken it upon themselves to curate a case of Agulhas Syrah from some of our favourite producers, complete with tasting notes and a tasting card for you to pencil in YOUR own take on it. In our almighty plight to understand the diversity of our winemaking regions, accept this as lesson one. And while you taste, may you remember the ominous drumming of the imprisoned Titan, down there at the Southernmost point of Africa. These are his wines.
The Case
Discover the southernmost Syrah with Onswijn's Agulhas Wine Triangle Collection. Ed & Ivy at Onswijn have put together the ultimate Syrah/Shiraz Collection for wine explorers, together with tasting notes and a tasting card to pencil in your own experience.
This stylish collection includes cool-climate Syrah from:
Black Oystercatcher: Triton 2016. 100% barrel-matured for 12 months. Ripe red berry on the nose, with hints of white pepper. Remarkable minerality and soft tannin on the palate are complemented by a plump mouthfeel and long finish.
The Drift Farm: Clean Slate 2017. Shiraz grows like it wants to fly away – especially on the precarious slopes of our windswept mountain. Hand-dug holes on the rockiest aspect of our farm keep these vines anchored in the bedrock of our dreams. Eight nerve-racking years of patient vine husbandry slipped into memories and historical weather data before we excitedly welcomed an intense, but small crop into our winery. A further two winters resting in barrel rewarded us with the essence of mother nature’s humbling power and magnificence.
Lomond Wines: Cat’s Tail 2017. Juicy red fruit with ample black pepper and other spices and hints of floral notes. The vineyards are planted in north-west facing blocks on the lower reaches of the farm within view of the sea, in KoffieKlip and highly weathered soils.
Land’s End Wines (Du Toitskloof): Land’s End Cape Agulhas Syrah 2018. 100% Malolactic fermentation follows the alcoholic fermentation and wine is then aged for 20 months in French oak barrels. Black pepper, cardamom and allspice brings to mind creaky wooden ships of antiquity, barrels spilling over with spice. The oak imparting clove and smoke – the fruit abundant, bouncy, lively along a line of bright and natural Elim acidity.
Olivedale Private Vineyards: Masterpiece of Nature Syrah 2017. Establishing this vineyard on the ancient rocky riverbed of the Breede River, dating back almost 14 million years, was not an easy task, but with dedicated labour this wine resulted in a very terroir driven Syrah. It has a range of flavours, from herbs, faint black pepper, red and blackberry, and core of dark fruits. Uniquely Swellendam.
Strandveld Vineyards: Strandveld Syrah 2018. A full-bodied wine with aromas of white pepper, fynbos and spice and a rich palate with firm tannins backed by well-integrated oak. This serious Rhône style Syrah is big in structure and layered with intense black berry fruit flavours and savoury notes
* Keep an eye out for the Agulhas Wine Triangle Red Blend Case - coming soon.
