Syrah

Grenache from the Gard and Syrah from Vaucluse were destemmed and fermented separately on skins for five days. The fruit was pressed into tank for five months of élevage, with ten parts per million of sulphur added at bottling. This red wine has moderate tannins, slight bitterness and depth, while remaining accessible. It contains twelve and a half percent alcohol.

Syrah comes from two massale-selected vineyards just south of Condrieu, one in Saint-Joseph and one across the river. Half the grapes are destemmed and half retained as whole clusters for fermentation. The wine is pressed into 650-litre demi-muids for an eleven-month élevage. It is classified as Vin de France and records 12.5 percent alcohol.

The colour is medium ruby-purple. Aromas include Bing cherry, red raspberry, blueberry, roasted rhubarb, cardamom and brown sugar. Vanilla and spice sit with grilled meat, olive tapenade, cedar and molasses. Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Petite Sirah, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec make up the blend. The wine is full-bodied, with firm, grainy tannins and juicy acidity.

Syrah grows on steep granite and gneiss slopes and is harvested by hand. Fermentation takes place at controlled temperature in stainless steel, followed by maturation in oak. Blackcurrant and raspberry sit with leather and liquorice, while red fruit and violet accompany mineral, cocoa and animal notes. The profile has roundness and silky tannins, and alcohol is thirteen percent by volume.

Violets, blackberry, leafy notes and pepper accompany a sappy palate with concentrated fruit, bright acidity and firm tannins. Syrah from a Devon Valley vineyard planted in the year two thousand grows in deep, clay-rich red soils. Whole bunches are lightly foot-stomped, with gentle pumpovers once or twice daily. After pressing, the wine matures for ten months in concrete. Alcohol is thirteen point zero three percent.

Juicy black raspberry, violets, peppery herbs and minerality appear in a concentrated, structured profile. The blend is 52% Grenache, 18% Cinsault, 13% Mourvèdre, 12% Syrah and 5% Carignan. The vines average sixty-five years old and grow at 125 metres on sand, blue and red clay and river stones. Vinification takes place in underground concrete vats, with more than four weeks on skins. Ageing lasts twenty months in old oak casks and 600-litre barrels.

The profile includes red and blue berries, wild dry herbs and a meaty note. Red and black fruit, spice and a long finish are also present. Fruit from vines under twenty years old at Beaucastel and two neighbouring vineyards ferments in wooden and stainless-steel vats. The wines are tasted to determine the final blend, then matured in foudres for two years.

Cinsault accounts for forty-nine percent of the blend, Grenache Noir forty-two percent and Syrah nine percent. The varieties mature separately for twelve months in seasoned 500-litre French oak barrels. Cranberry, watermelon, blueberry and cinnamon are present, with delicate tannins, earth and new leather. The finish carries cranberry and redcurrant. Alcohol is 12.96 percent, and the wine comes from Piekenierskloof.