Has any brand in South Africa achieved quite so much as Porseleinberg in less than a decade? This is the best vintage yet from this steep, brutal, extreme schist-rich site and that's saying a good deal. Big, bold and intense, with incredible, almost feral intensity, incense, tar and black pepper aromas and layers of inky dark fruit. A stunning wine from a stunning site, made by a gem of a winemaker.

The 2017 Porseleinberg saw 327mm of rain, which fell later in the season and meant they could irrigate at the right time. It was also much cooler than the previous year. Matured 70% in wooden foudre and 30% concrete eggs, this is a little more tertiary and austere on the nose with leather and bay leaf notes. The fruit gains presence with aeration. The palate is fresh and linear, well-defined with a gradual build in the mouth. There is real tension and depth, slight viscosity toward the finish with a beguiling peacock's tail on the finish. Magnificent.
Vinous, Nov 2019

The 2017 Syrah begins opaque in the glass. The nose is dense enough to cut with a knife, showing a rigid minerality and black-fruited core with a dusty minerality and dark purple floral tone that seems to be brooding. On the palate, the tannic nature attacks the palate and gum line with enough astringency to make a Barolo blush and was achieved by winemaking decisions. The palate has a density and mineral rusticity that seems too loud currently but will be very expressive and generous after a decade or more of aging. The finish is long and grippy, expressing black fruits with a rigid mineral backbone. If you're going to enjoy this wine while it's still young, you're going to need some food to pair with and settle its tannic nature. Only 1500 cases were made.

100% Syrah. Another dry year (327 mm annual rainfall) but people by then had tanks to catch rainwater, apparently. Thankfully the growing season was much cooler and with a few later rains the vines maintained good canopies to harvest. Great-tasting fruit was the result. Yields still very low at 3 t/ha. Harvest started second week of February and lasted two weeks. The (very good) grapes were hand-picked and transferred as whole bunches to concrete tanks. The bunches were foot-stomped, after which natural fermentation took place. During the ferment two pumpovers were done per day until the fermentation was complete. Maturation took place over 12 months in 70% foudre and 30% concrete egg. Bottled mid May 2018. TA 5 g/l, pH 3.9, RS 2 g/l. Blackish crimson. Appetising and aromatic. Racy, round and beautifully balanced. Savoury finish. Great balance and velvety texture. Already approachable. Very fine tannins. (JR)