Critics Ratings

'Vintage coming off a very wet winter with massive rainfall. A big yielding vintage as well with 8 t/ha compared to circa 5 t/ha normally. Quite an earthy, plummy savoury nose with cured meats, dried lavender, potpourri, and a smoky, railway yard complexity. The palate shows delicious freshness, vibrant acids and a savoury melange of salty cassis, oyster shell and light soy hints, finishing with mouth coating chalky tannins without being obtrusive. A slightly unique expression but beautiful nonetheless.' - Greg Sherwood MW, 95+/100 (2023)

‘Singular Shiraz from a special Swartland site. Whole-bunch natural ferment, 14 like 13 aged a year in large older oak – 12 was unoaked. Riveting perfume (smoke, spice, flowers) leads to supple, intense palate, its fine muscularity matched by depth of fruit.’ – Platter’s SA Wine Guide 2017, 5*

‘Porseleinberg's 2014 Syrah has a very pure bouquet of blackberry, briary, hints of crushed violet and iris all with wonderful delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannin. Compared to other vintages that I have tasted, this 2014 feels quite structured and perhaps a little more masculine than previous vintages, the schistous terroir expressive towards the mineral-driven finish. It constitutes one of the most intellectual wines from Porseleinberg that I have tasted, maybe less opulent than previous vintages, yet with great complexity and breeding.’ – Neal Martin, Wine Advocate, 96/100 (2017)

'Dark ruby-red. Knockout nose combines black fruits, black olive, pepper, violet and spices, plus a whiff of woodsmoke. Intensely flavored and utterly seamless, showing superb inner-mouth floral, peppery lift to its savory boysenberry and olive tapenade flavors. Finishes with fine-grained tannins and lovely peppery, violety lift and length. This was partly aged in an old foudre, while the last vintage of this wine I tasted (the 2012) was done entirely in concrete, but there's more richness here without any loss of precision. Once again, the moderate alcohol level of Swartland fruit enables this wine to maintain its definition and grip. I would hold this beauty for at least a couple years but it won't hurt your teeth now.' - Stephen Tanzer, Vinous, 94/100 (May 2017)

‘Porseleinberg's 2014 Syrah has a very pure bouquet of blackberry, briary, hints of crushed violet and iris all with wonderful delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannin. Compared to other vintages that I have tasted, this 2014 feels quite structured and perhaps a little more masculine than previous vintages, the schistous terroir expressive towards the mineral-driven finish. It constitutes one of the most intellectual wines from Porseleinberg that I have tasted, maybe less opulent than previous vintages, yet with great complexity and breeding.’ – Tim Atkin MW, SA Special Report 2016, 96/100

‘This is loaded with layers of warm boysenberry, raspberry and blackberry confiture, stretching out over a well-embedded iron note and picking up anise, violet and juniper details along the way. Dense, lithe and seriously long. Impressive. Syrah. Best from 2017 through 2025. 500 cases made.’ – James Molesworth, Wine Spectator, 95/100 (Sep 2016)

Provenance

Wine Cellar Private Client