2017 Syrah ' Deconstructed Lake District Cartref SH22', Kershaw
Elgin, Western Cape, South Africa
This outstanding Syrah, one of South Africa’s best, is part of a range of wines called Deconstructed which winemaker Richard Kershaw created to show the world-class vineyards of Elgin and the differences between vineyards and clones in the region.
Sourced from a single parcel in the western part of Elgin, the 22 clone produces fuller, well-coloured yet finely structured wines. They tend to be more concentrated as yields are low with more black fruit, black pepper and meaty notes. The Cartref soils, a mixture of decomposed granite, pebbles and quartz, add gracefulness and heighten the fruit intensity.
Only 552 bottles were produced.
Whats in the bottle
100% Syrah
Notable Awards
Tim Atkin 95/100
My pick of the current Kershaw range, this tithe best Syrah I’ve had yet from the eccentric English Master of Wine. Easily handling its 50% new wood, it has the grip and density of the SH22 clone, savoury, spicy complexity, some violet top notes, fine tannins and refreshing balancing acidity. 2021-27.
Tim Atkin MW, South Africa Report 2019
Neal Martin 93/100
Complete the look:
- Producer Information
- Winemaking
- Tech Stuff
Made in tiny quantities, Richard Kershaw MW’s wines are always in high demand. Born in Sheffield, Richard trained and worked as a chef before discovering wine. After extensive travelling, he settled in South Africa in 1999, and by 2009 he was Group Winemaker at Mulderbosch and Kanu. He established Richard Kershaw Wines in 2012, specialising in the cool-climate wines of Elgin. Being one of the few MW’s to make his own wine, he uses his vast knowledge to craft stunning wines that are easily a match for some of the world’s very best wines.
The grapes were handpicked under autumnal skies into small lug baskets and then manually sorted on a conveyor before the stems were removed. The destemmed berries fell onto a vibrating table in order to remove jacks and substandard berries before dropping uncrushed into a small 500kg conical hopper and forklifted into open-topped fermenters. The grapes underwent a 3-day maceration before spontaneous fermentation began. A gentle pigeage program was charted and the grapes remained on skins for 22 days. The wine was then racked to barrel under gravity and the remaining pomace basket-pressed. Malolactic then proceeded in barrel followed by a light sulphuring and 17-month maturation. No finings were necessary and the wine was simply racked and bottled unfiltered.
BARREL SELECTION: A small number of artisanal coopers were selected, all from Burgundy and the Rhone, with only French oak chosen. Importantly this wine was micro-vinified as a separate batch. Over the years we have developed an algorithm to ascertain which coopers work best and how many new and used barrels are utilised. In 2017 50% was new oak; 50% 228 litre- & 50% 500 litre-barrels.
Country
South Africa
Grape
Syrah
Producer
Kershaw
Region
Western Cape
Sub-Region
Elgin
Appellation
Lake District
Size
750ml
Types
White Wine
Vintage
2017
2017 Syrah ' Deconstructed Lake District Cartref SH22', Kershaw
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- South Africa