Schist Syrah

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Harvested during the cool morning air to protect the fruit from the seasonal February Swartland sun, the 100% whole-bunch grapes were immediately foot-crushed into 500L barrels. Fermentation was driven exclusively by natural microbes. Manual punch-downs were kept to a minimum, serving only to keep the cap wet and ensure a highly gentle extraction. After four weeks of maceration, the wine was racked and pressed back into the same open-top barrels to complete its tannin development and maximize its dark perfume.

Grown on the 400m altitude slopes of Kasteelberg at the Roundstone estate, the SCHIST Syrah thrives in rocky, schist-based soils. This terrain naturally restricts vine vigor, yielding smaller grape clusters with an elevated skin-to-juice ratio. The resulting wine delivers enhanced texture, darker fruit expressions and firmer tannins. Mirroring its growing site and distinctive terroir, this Syrah is both highly concentrated and very well balanced. The grapes were hand-harvested between 13th and 14th February 2024 with a yield of 4.3 tons/ha, which translated to 26HL/ha.

The wine matured for 12 months in 500L French oak barrels (50% new and 50% fourth- fill), followed by an additional nine months in 2000L Foudres. It was bottled unfiltered.