Swanesang Syrah

Beef, Lamb, Poultry, Game (deer, venison)

Syrah from a small 1999 bushvine single vineyard (0.7ha) planted in ‘treinspoor’ (high density) format in southern Stellenbosch. Settled in decomposed granite duplex soils with an underlaying ‘koffie-stone’ layer. A Syrah with its rows funnelling the cool False Bay sea air daily.

90% whole-cluster fermentation before maturation lasting 12 months, 80% in concrete and 20% in old oak.

Bernhard Bredell: Why the name “Scions of Sinai”? Scion = In plant biology referring to the top part of a plant/vine that exists above the ground. We say “The Scion cultivar of that vine is Chenin blanc and the rootstock cultivar is Richter 99″. In old English literature the word “Scion” also refers to “the descendant of…”. Making it applicable to refer to myself as a “scion” from Sinai Hill as well as the vines. Plural “Scions”. Pronounced: SIGH-ENS. Sinai = Referring to Sinai Hill not the famous biblical mountain but the folk name for the foothill in the lower Helderberg region of Stellenbosch where the Bredell’s have farmed with old dryland bushvines for many generations. Luckily some of them are still rooted and a great part of them owned by my cousin Pieter Bredell (also 7th generation Bredell). Pronounced: SIN-EYE. It’s me and these couple of old bushvines… together we are by definition the Scions of Sinai. The descendants of Sinai Hill.