Notes

Please note the 2014 is not the original bottle used for photography

Critics Ratings

2014:
'Triumphantly following on from the 2013 vintage, this was tricky to grow and make but worth the effort. Showing a lowest-ever 12.5% alcohol and fermented with 25% whole bunches, it has intense violet, lavender and fynbos aromas, lots of pepper spice, sappy tannins and dark berry concentration. 2018-24' - Tim Atkin MW, SA Special Report 2017, 95/100

'Established as a top Swartland shiraz. Complex aromas of berries & spice (cinnamon, nutmeg, pepper) on 2014 but, like 2013 (5 stars, 97 pts), the wine speaks of its origins on the Kasteelberg slopes. It’s both intense & delicate, full of vivacity & also serene, balanced, harmonious. Only old oak.' - Platter’s SA Wine Guide 2017, 4.5*

2015:
'No longer a single vineyard wine - it now hails from two parcels of 21 and 37 years’ old - this remains an incredibly intense, hedonistic Syrah, with savoury, aromatic spices, dark blackberry fruit, some black olive and a fresh, satisfying finish. 2019-25' - Tim Atkin MW, SA Special Report 2018, 96/100

'A Swartland standard-bearer. Multi-awarded 2015 reflects stellar vintage. Layers of scented dark spice, berry complexity gently brushed with older oak announce class. Supple silkiness merges seamlessly with fine tannin, lending energy, reverberating length; all delivered with effortless elegance. Disconcertingly drinkable; long-term prospects too, like 2014 (4.5 stars, 94 pts).' - Platter’s SA Wine Guide 2015, 5* (97/100)

'The grapes for this wine come from a 16-year-old schist vineyard on Riebeek Mountain, surrounded by fynbos. The brambly and spicy nose has a savoury edge – it smells like a South African braai! That fynbos comes through on the palate, alongside herbal notes, black olives and white pepper, plus luscious red and black berries. Supremely drinkable and a great barbecue wine.' - Julie Sheppard, Decanter.com, 92/100 (Feb 2019)

2017:
'A blue-blood Swartland Syrah. 2017 captivating spice, berries both fragrant and flavoursome, precise rather than showy. Little tighter than previously made 2015 but silky concentration bides time behind fine, fresh grip. So elegant, so stylish.' - Platter's SA Wine Guide 2020, 5* (97/100)

'Willie Dreyer grows some of the best grapes in South Africa, so it’s no surprise that this Syrah is so consistently good and is showing just as well a year after I first reviewed it. Bloody, intense and stony, with amazing focus and minerality, layered tannins, a twist of pepper and rich, savoury dark berry fruit. 2020-29.' - Tim Atkin MW, SA Special Report 2020, 95/100

'This estate dates back to 1693; Leeuwenkuil means ‘lion’s lair’. Its Heritage Syrah is a blend of two of its best schist vineyards. Very Rhône-like in style, there’s a smoky, slightly animal note hiding in the undergrowth. It’s only just medium-bodied but has real impact and textural force on the palate, thanks to a fine mesh of tight tannins and precise acidity. It all pulls together on the finish like a drawstring. Should age with interest.' - Matt Walls, Decanter, 94/100 (Sep 2020)

Provenance

Wine Cellar Private Client