Blue Rock Syrah 2019 Magnum
Planted in 1997 to a precipitous North facing slope. Normally a marginal prospect in a cool climate such as ours, the slope delivers all day sun to the vines, ensuring perfect ripeness in al but the coolest of vintages.
Syrah made by the makes of Pinot Noir! Look for elegance and balance, never a heavy weight. Clove and pepper spice with dark chocolate and black fruits.
Winemaker Note
“Deep and vibrant ruby color. Plenty to get excited about on the nose! Classic cool climate Syrah notes of black pepper and clove spice with dark liquorice and mineral/Tar scents. Nice oak adds some class. Palate is youthful, vibrant. Full bodied red wine with plenty of rich flavor. The tannins are ripe and smooth but most certainly present, in a very positive fashion, on the finish, which is long and flavour filled. Really nice drinking already. Really opens up in the glass over an hour or so. Decanting recommended. Will be a very long lived wine. At its best from 2025 onwards.”
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Winter came late with August and September cold and wet. Jack Frost paid a visit with a catastrophic event occurring late spring resulting in heavy losses across the region. We were not spared, Eclipse vineyard was struck across the blocks closest to the terrace edge, losses estimated around 30%. High rainfall returned in November negatively impacting on the flowering stage, reducing crop levels significantly and making machinery work extremely difficult. To put it mildly; a highly challenging spring.
Summer was hot and relatively dry. Harvest was earlier than usual with perfect weather for picking. In the end excellent quality fruit was harvested albeit in small quantities.
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Hand harvested at Blue Rock Vineyard on the 21st of April from Highfold B block, the steepest slope on this elevated North facing vineyard. Planted in 1997.
All bunches were de-stemmed directly into a three ton open topped fermenter. Every effort was made to preserve as much “whole berry” as possible. This, along with the use of cooling helps to ensure a slow onset of full fermentation allowing the native nonsaccharomyces yeasts time to perform an initial ferment before the stronger, more dominant native saccharomyces yeast strains take over and complete full alcoholic fermentation. We grow a few rows of Viognier at Blue Rock which is harvested at the same time as the Syrah. Once the juice is pressed off the Viognier skins are added to the Syrah ferment. Total maceration time for this vintage was between 20 – 30 days before gentle pressing. All press fractions are included in the final blend.
Once the wine had settled in tank for three or four days it was transferred to French oak puncheons for maturation. Malolactic fermentation completed naturally during the winter of 2020. In total the wine spent 12 months in barrel. New oak in the finished wine is around 20%. The only additions were sulphur dioxide post malo followed by a small top up prior to bottling. Bottled Unfined and Unfiltered.
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Drink with red wine braised beef cheeks and pomme puree. Be great with a firm cheese as well.
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pH 3.65
TA 5.0 g/L
RS <1.0 g/L
Alc 13.5 %
Bottled Oct 2020
Recent Reviews
“94 points. Gorgeously ripe and perfumed with Black Doris plum, spiced cherry, clove and toasted nut aromas, it’s wonderfully rounded and plump in the mouth offering excellent fruit purity and elegant complexity. Splendidly framed by fine tannins, finishing seductively elegant and graceful. At its best: now to 2032. ”
“95 points. Distinctly different, restrained, complex wine that suggests a higher proportion of whole bunches were added to the ferment. The nose shows grilled Mediterranean vegetables, raspberries, cassis, and green peppercorns. Medium-bodied, supple, silky, vibrant style that builds in the mouth. There’s positive, savoury tannins and a long, complex finish. An engaging wine that keeps you thinking.”
“94 points. Varietal and savoury with a core of fruit and decent level of intensity showcasing the core of fruit then fine peppery qualities. Aromas of black cirrant and spiced plum, there’s a savoury spiced meats and leather quality then wood spices with a light smok quality. Flavours are reflected on the palate with firm youthful tenmsion from tannins and acdity providing the foundation for ageing. Still taut and new, but packed with flavours of dark fruits, some meats and barrel spice complexities. Well made ith readiness from drinking from 2023 through 2029+.”
“94 points. From a warm, steeply north-facing site, the wine was co-fermented with viognier skins, which introduce a floral and violet nuance to dark berry, black pepper, gun-flint, anise and spicy oak flavours. An elegant and appealing wine with good cellaring propects ”
