Connect the Dots Syrah

We harvest in the cool, early hours of the morning, into 14kg Lug boxes and transport grapes back to the cellar in refrigerated trucks where they are allowed to cool overnight. After gentle foot-stomping and crushing, the Agulhas fruit was fermented one third whole-bunch, Elgin 15% wholebunch and Stellenbosch 100% wholebunch. Natural fermentation gets underway, at its own pace, in a combination of open and closed fermenters. Once complete, we macerate gently with a single, daily pumpover / punchdown.

Life is an expedition and though the route’s often unclear, the fun lies in joining the dots between the people, places, ideas and experiences we encounter along the way. As in the vines, sometimes they connect, sometimes they don’t but, when the dots do connect, the results can be breathtaking. Exploring the diversity of Syrah planted in cool micro-climates of the Cape is my passion and this label represents another step in my never-ending search to find the best sites in the Winelands. Working closely with farmers who share my fervour for Syrah and precision viticulture, the idea is provide a snap-shot of Cape Syrah in a given year and to fuse the results in a bottle. In other words, to Connect The Dots. 100% Syrah. Those who are familiar with our earlier vintages will recognise that a new ‘dot’ has been added to this label, signifying this addition of fruit from Agulhas to the blend. This year, the composition is: 84% Elgin (Niemandsrivier) 9% Agulhas, 7% Stellenbosch.

14-16 months in 228L and 300L Neutral French Oak