Syrah, 2023
The second vintage. After building a reputation as one of the Cape’s best Syrah producers through his Ava and Red bottlings, this straight Syrah is Donovan’s way of meeting the demand for his wines. The 2022 saw 100% whole cluster fermentation and ageing exclusively in concrete. Juicy and moreish, super fresh and perfumed this is a delicious Syrah for everyday drinking. In the coming years, Donovan plans to establish a cover crop programme here to improve the health of the soil and grow yields from their current base of just 7.5hl/ha!
critic reviews
The 2023 Syrah comes from vines on schist soils, whole-bunch-fermented and aged in concrete. This has a very potent, floral nose with stunning delineation, blossoming in the glass with veins of blue fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with sapid red fruit. It’s supremely well structured, with fine-boned tannins and a dash of white pepper on the finish. This is within touching distance of the brilliant 2022 and constitutes one of the standout reds this season.