Layers of bramble and red berry fruit, with spicy, peppery aromas. Energetic and lightly rich palate that emphasises floral elements.
2021 Solace Syrah
R430.00
Layers of bramble and red berry fruit, with spicy, peppery aromas. Energetic and lightly rich palate that emphasises floral elements.
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Description
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Accolades
Accolades
“Bustling with mineral and white pepper energy embellished with sumptuous blackberries and perfumed herbs and tempered by a delicious line of acidity. Very Northern Rhône.”
DECANTER WORLD WINE AWARDS GOLD MEDAL [ 95/100 ]
TIM ATKIN MW 2023 SOUTH AFRICA SPECIAL REPORT [ 94/100 ]
“Much more structured, powerful, deeply savoury fresh meat nuances from two parcels of syrah on stony, north-facing sites on Brocha farm. Tightly coiled core of fruit in a firm, dry tannin framework, oak (20% new) for 16 months. Needs (and is built for) a decade to show more fully.”
PLATTER’S WINE GUIDE [ 4½ stars – 91/100 ]
“A bit of reduction blows off to reveal aromas of white pepper, rosemary stem, grilled plums and white smoke. Medium-bodied with soft tannins. Juicy, black fruits and nicely spiced. Peppercorns drive the palate with bright acidity and a bit of tobacco underneath. Long. Sustainable. Drink now.”
JAMESSUCKLING.COM [ 92/100 ]
“More obviously Syrah on the nose. Fresh and focused and very closely related to the 2014. Lots of character. Dry finish and very pure. 13.5%.”
JANCIS ROBINSON MW [ 17/20 ]
“A rich dark broody affair, this is a big bold wine with expressive aromatics of logan berries, crushed raspberries, black berry kirsch liquor, sweet baked herbs and a savoury, sweet sour intensity. Rich and ripe yet showing plentiful elegance and restraint with classical proportions, this has lovely layers of cherry cola, cranberry coulee, sweet tangy acids and a long savoury, meaty finish. An imposing wine with power and presence but also a fine sense of elegance and restraint.”
GREG SHERWOOD MW [ 96/100 ]
OLD MUTUAL TROPHY WINE SHOW 2021, GOLD [ 96/100 ]
“Outstanding in its field – just the perfect combination of ripe black fruit and exquisite pepper and sweet spice. Only just entering its prime. What a wine!”
RICHARD HEMMING MW [ 18/20] -
Technical Details
Technical Details
ALCOHOL 13.6% RESIDUAL SUGAR 2.2 g/l TOTAL ACIDITY 5.6 g/l PH 3.4 -
Winemaking
Winemaking
Grapes were hand harvested into small crates and spent overnight in a cold room. Extensive bunch sorting by hand prior to destemming occured. The grapes were not crushed, with 10% whole bunch for complexity.
Fermentation was allowed to start naturally, with gentle punch downs twice a day by hand. Fermentation temperatures peaked at 28°C.
The wines were transferred to 500L French oak barrels where malolactic fermentation took place (14% new wood, the rest 3rd, 4th and 5th fill).
During the winemaking process, we tried to keep with Rozy’s farming philosophy, thus no enzymes, yeast or sulphur was used during the winemaking process. The wine is not fined or filtered, with a small amount of sulphur added before bottling.
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Vintage Notes
Vintage Notes
The 2021 vintage experienced a typical cold Elgin winter, with snow on the high mountain peaks and high winter rainfall, after 5 years of very dry and unusually warm winter conditions. This enabled good vine dormancy. Bud break took place in ideal warm and sunny conditions. The impact of below than average winter rains in the previous years and windy conditions during October and November resulted in very uneven flowering. As a result, berry set was uneven leading to smaller berries that have good concentration of flavours. Cool weather conditions during December and January slowed down ripening.
The 2021 vintage was characterised by late rainfall and increased the risk of disease. Sorting was again crucial this year and the fruit that remained shows wonderful intensity and fruit concentration. The late rain helped nourish the soils and more importantly, helped the vine focus on grape ripening rather than foliage growth, resulting in concentrated berries with low pH and lower sugar levels. The net result of the later vintage and very cool weather conditions in 2021, is that the grapes had high natural acidity, achieved steady phenolic ripeness and plenty of intense and concentrated fruit flavours.
