2018 Graft Syrah
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Tasting notes
Full bottle 1,367 g. 100% Syrah. Spontaneous fermentation and aged in old French oak. Three barrels produced. Unfined and unfiltered. Mid garnet colour. Ripe fruit on the nose and very mouth-filling on the palate. Nicely, delicately balanced even if not as obviously 'north Rhône' Syrah as the Kusuda 2018 Syrah served alongside. Very, very different from and more elegant than typical South African Syrah/Shiraz. This has a longer life than I originally thought. Long. (JR)
Critic scores
Julia Harding MW, jancisrobinson.com
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
Full bottle 1,324 g. Already shaded garnet. Light, pure nose and quite a bit of acidity but light black pepper notes and receding tannin. Muted but pure. (JR)
Fermented with ambient yeast and aged in three used French oak barrels. Unfined and unfiltered. Transparent garnet. Very recognisably, peppery northern Rhône Syrah nose. Like Lukas van L's 2018 varietal Cabernet Franc , this is almost the purest expression of Syrah you could imagine. It's also a little fruitier and more forgiving than the Cab Franc. It's absolutely lovely now but there are fine sandy tannins underneath and I'm sure it will age too. Long and satisfyingly broad in its impact right across the palate. Pretty light but far from skinny. Côte Rôtie was surely the inspiration? (JR)
One of the highest vineyards in the area at 300 m. 100% whole bunch and some new oak. Lifted and perfumed like the best northern Rhône Syrah but it’s no imitation. Peony, black fruit, pepper. On the palate, wonderfully dry texture, the oak in the background. The texture is infused with the perfume from the beginning to the long finish. Dark, chalky finesse at the very end. (JH)