Kershaw2017 Syrah ‘G.P.S Series’, Kershaw
Western Cape, South AfricaVintage: 2017
An outstanding Syrah and easily one of South Africas best examples.
It is restrained, yet with intent and subtle power, wines from this vineyard are characterised by piercing black pepper flavours and powdery tannins complete with rich textures and a prodigious breadth of black-orientated fruit. The 2017 shows a mid-ruby colour, a nose heady with aromas of black pepper, cinnamon stick, star anise and black cherry panna cotta. Succulent in texture, this medium-bodied Syrah is voluminous with a core of juicy Morello cherries, liquorice and molasses complexed with gorse bush, baked plums, bay leaf and angostura bitters underpinned with fine grippy tannins and a long lush finish. Only 1765 bottles were produced.
The G.P.S. (Grape Positioning System) series is made from exciting small parcels of fruit selected from carefully chosen vineyards outside the Elgin Valley. The grapes for this wine come from the Klein River ward, which is one of the smallest wine wards in South Africa. Almost 20 years ago, the first Syrah vines were planted in an area that has traditionally been used for sheep and wheat farming. Three hectares were set aside for Syrah, on shale-derived Glenrosa soil. These soils are normally the hallmark of warmer areas, but these vines nestle against the Klein River Mountain range, which combined with the nearby Akkedis Valley, provide a portal through which the cool sea breezes from the Walker Bay penetrate, creating a mild meso-climate in summer.
Whats in the bottle
100% Syrah
12 Mixed Bottles *
£42.75
Save £4.75
* As part of a mixed case of any 12 bottles
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Description
Made in tiny quantities, Richard Kershaw MW’s wines are always in high demand. Born in Sheffield, Richard trained and worked as a chef before discovering wine. After extensive travelling, he settled in South Africa in 1999, and by 2009 he was Group Winemaker at Mulderbosch and Kanu. He established Richard Kershaw Wines in 2012, specialising in the cool-climate wines of Elgin. Being one of the few MW’s to make his own wine, he uses his vast knowledge to craft stunning wines that are easily a match for some of the world’s very best wines.
Grapes were handpicked under autumnal skies into small lug baskets and then manually sorted on a conveyor before the stems were removed. The destemmed berries fell onto a vibrating table in order to remove jacks and substandard berries before dropping uncrushed into a small 500kg conical hopper and being forklifted into open-topped fermenters. The grapes underwent a 3-day maceration before spontaneous fermentation began. A gentle pigeage program was charted and the grapes remained on skins for 19 days. The wine was then racked to barrel under gravity and the remaining pomace basket-pressed. Malolactic then proceeded in barrel followed by a light sulphuring and 16-month maturation. No finings were necessary, and the wine was simply racked and bottled unfiltered.
BARREL SELECTION: A small number of artisanal coopers were selected from Burgundy and Rhone, with only French oak chosen. Importantly, this wine was micro vinified as a separate batch. Over the years we have developed an algorithm to ascertain which coopers work best and how many new and used barrels are utilised. In 2017 38.4% was new oak; 76.0% using 500 litre barrels and 24% in breathable eggs.
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