7S Syrah generic
Tasting Notes

Coming from a cooler climate vineyard, this is not your typical South African Syrah. Though it offers a beautiful dark crimson colour and layered mid-palate, the wine is more European in style. That is to say less power and more elegance. It has a delightful mouthfeel balanced by structured, though supple, tannins. The fruit is more red berry forest fruits with a touch of violets and white pepper spice on the finish. Incredibly harmonious with a long, fresh, earthy end palate that lingers long after the wine has been swallowed! A classy, well-structured, wine balanced by fresh fruit aromas, a hint of spice and beautiful supple tannins. 

This wine will pair beautifully with most red meats but in particular, game birds and venison or slow-cooked lamb stew. Mouth-watering in its own right, the structure and complexity of this wine will cut through the flavours of stronger flavoured dishes, while remaining elegant and focused. Dark chocolate or mature blue cheeses will also match perfectly!! 

Technical Analysis

Alcohol: 14.2%    Residual Sugar: 2.5 g/l     Total Acidity: 6.0 g/l     pH: 3.49
Harvested by hand March 2015    Bottled: 23rd September 2016  Ageing potential: 10-12 years
Production: 12,600 bottles (750ml) 150 bottles (1.5 ltr)

Harvest Report

This was the vintage we had been waiting for. In the Overberg, especially the Hermanus area, it was a superb year for all varietals. Across South Africa it was equally great, but more for white varietals. This is the vintage you want to stock your wine cellar with.
The 2015 season was preceded by an exceptionally wet year in 2014, making it seem like dry year, when instead it was just right. All the climatic conditions aligned, ample rain in spring, cool January and a temperate and dry summer, with the odd heat flash, as we are seeing more constantly now, thanks to climate change.  

Vinification

The Syrah was fermented in stainless steel tanks for about 2 weeks. Pump overs, to aerate the wine and supply oxygen to the yeast, were done twice daily until the wine had finished it’s alcoholic fermentation. The wine was then pumped into 2nd and 3rd fill French oak barrels and left to mature for 15 months.  

There was a portion of the fruit harvested that was fermented separately, post alcoholic fermentation, and was left on the skins for a few days for ‘extended skin contact’. After which it was pressed and put into barrel to age separately from our other Syrah. Blending of the different barrels was completed in early 2016, prior to bottling.  

Terroir and Cultivar 

Our Syrah was planted in 2007, on a very slight north facing slope at 240 metres above sea level. The soils on Seven Springs are Bokkeveld Shale, with decomposed granite and deep rich yellow and red clay subsoil. 2015 was our sixth vintage and we are starting to see the change in complexity in the fruit our vines are producing. The soils add a richness to the fruit and aids in making the wines more complex than one would expect from younger vines. Syrah is known for its spicy and smoky flavours which come from the oak barrels used plus the type of clones planted. At Seven Springs our clone of Syrah shows more fruity characteristics with slight hints of spices.