Wine of the week: a commanding and enchanting syrah from South Africa

I am rather ashamed that I haven’t written up this wine before in MoneyWeek because it has been a masterful creation for many years. In 2015 it eclipsed the amazing 2014 which I, personally, didn’t think possible. While the ’14 was controlled, calm, classy and complex, the 2015 vintage, which includes 5% mourvèdre and 1% viognier in its makeup, is more densely packed and profound.

Only two-thirds of the normal crop was harvested in this vintage and, while the cellar might not be as full as usual, the bottles are certainly stuffed with even more flavour than ever. Fifteen per cent new oak is used here and so the dramatic, mountainside fruit is allowed to express itself fully in this commanding, spicy, aromatically enchanting wine.

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Talking of viognier, 2018 Tamboerskloof Viognier (£19.75, greatwesternwine.co.uk; £16.05, qwines.co.uk), with its cunning addition of 11% roussanne, is also an astounding wine and certainly the finest white I have tasted from this farm. The greengage theme makes it unlike any viognier I have tasted before. It is crisp and firm as well as sensual and provocative, and regular readers will know how fussy I am about this grape, so don’t delay in securing both this wine and the incredible syrah. I urge you to visit the Kleinood website, too, and you will discover how much love and skill goes into the wines and olive oils made here.

2015 Kleinood, Tamboerskloof Syrah, Stellenbosch, South Africa – £23, Great Western Wine, 01225-322810, greatwesternwine.co.uk; £19.60, qwines.co.uk

Matthew Jukes is a winner of the International Wine & Spirit Competition’s Communicator of the Year (matthewjukes.com)

This article was originally published in MoneyWeek