Syrah

Serve this wine with poultry, veal and red meat dishes or savouring it on its own.

This is another first bottling. Syrah is one of the backbone varieties of the Swartland, although the vines can struggle in our hot and dry climate. The yields were low as these vineyards received minimal to no irrigation during the drought. This led to small crops and concentrated berries. This wine is made from three vineyards, of which one is farmed organically, planted in different soil types across the Swartland. The result is a delicately perfumed wine with an elegant structure which is quite ironic considering the harsh conditions the vines had to endure. Only 700 bottles were produced from this vintage.

75% whole-bunch fermented.

André Bruyns assistant winemaker to David and Nadia Sadie has just stared making wine under his own label City on a Hill in 2015. André wants his wines to be very specific to their site and soil type. His white grapes come from 35 year old dryland vineyards in the Paardeberg Mountain planted mainly with Chenin Blanc. Farming is sustainable with some organic and biodynamic practices used. The granitic soils enhance the stony/mineral attributes of the grapes giving rise to a focused and linear style. The wines are fermented naturally in old oak barrels to enhance the sense of place and are bottled unfiltered. The White Blend is a blend of 92% Chenin Blanc with 8% Viognier and spends 10 months on lees. He also makes a 100% Chenin Blanc a selection of the best barrels reflecting the restraint and linearity of the Paardeberg. And just one barrel of Muscat d’Alexandrie from a 30 year old parcel whole-bunch macerated for 5 days before pressing. This is an ambitious project and we can't wait to see how it develops.