Solace Syrah

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Grapes were hand harvested into small crates and spent overnight in a cold room. Extensive bunch sorting by hand prior to destemming occured. The grapes were not crushed, with 11% whole bunch for complexity. Fermentation was allowed to start naturally, with gentle punch downs twice a day by hand. Fermentation temperatures peaked at 28°C. The wines were transferred to 500L and 300L French oak barrels where malolactic fermentation took place (9% new wood, the rest 3rd, 4th and 5th fill). During the winemaking process, we tried to keep with Rozy's farming philosophy, thus no enzymes, yeast or sulphur was used during the winemaking process. The wine is not fined or filtered, with a small amount of sulphur added before bottling.

The 2020 season started with a cold June month, with average rainfall. This was followed by a cold and wet winter. Sunny weather during spring and good winter dormancy lead to very even bud break. This was followed by sunny and dry conditions, but strong winds during flowering led to long and uneven flowering. The consequences of uneven flowering were reduced crop levels and reduced berry size. December and January were characterised by cool growing conditions, with January being especially cool. The dry, cool conditions in the beginning of the season resulted in concentrated fruit, with intense flavour, while late rains, nourished the vineyards and this allowed us to pick fruit at optimal ripeness, with low alcohol levels and pH's and balanced acidities.