Joostenberg Klippe Kou Syrah 2018
This was one of my last minute panic purchases from Exanimo.
They don't usually sell to the public. So when I saw the chance to buy directly from them, I jumped at the opportunity.
The Wine:
Dark ruby in colour with a medium nose of black plums, raspberries, black cherries, strawberries, vanilla, tobacco, pepper, pine needles and fynbos, sea salt, and violets.
Full bodied, medium+ tannins/acidity/finish. All the dark fruits, braai meat, olives, and spice on the palate.
Vini + Viti:
100 % Syrah grapes grown in the rockiest sites of their organically certified vineyards (by Control Union). The average age of the vines is 16 years. Handpicked, partially de-stemmed (around 30% of were fermented with their stems), fermented in open fermenters. Matured for 18 months in a combo of 225L, 300L and 500L oak barrels.
Conclusion:
Balance (½) + Length (1) + Intensity (½) + Complexity (1) = A good wine.
Drink now, but has potential for further ageing. It’s young and needs some time. I’d want to come back to this in a few years to settle the tannins and herbal notes.
Final Thoughts:
Klippe Kou translates to ‘chewing rocks’, a nod to these organically certified vineyards being planted in the rockiest soils.
This purchase was a direct result of listening to the Exanimo chat about organic viticulture with Tyrrel Myburgh from Joostenberg Estate.
I’ve had reservations about the costs associated with the organic certification process (not the practice, I fully support organic farming) in our South African economic and social climate...but they made valid points that I hadn’t previously considered. If you’re interested in the SA wine industry, this is the best podcast on the SA Wine industry out there.
Tasted on a Fruit Day and Root Day according to the Biodynamic Calendar for the SH.
