Planted in 2005 on the steep mid-slopes of the Helderberg Mountain range, the Steepside Syrah vineyard sits at an elevation of 300m. Vines grow in red clay loam soils with high levels of iron and quartzite originating from the peaks above. The combination of these deep granitic soils and the intensity of the sunshine on the North facing ridge allows the vineyard to produce wines with power and structure, while the spicy herbal aromatics can be attributed to the elevation and the pristine fynbos flora that surround it. 

All grapes used in producing this wine come from our Steepside 2 Syrah block (1.3Ha). A small parcel of grapes was specifically selected, harvested by hand and vinified separately. Fermentation was carried out by yeast which occur naturally on the grape skins and in the winery. Our red wines spend three to four weeks fermenting and macerating on the skins in small open top tanks with one or two gentle ‘punch-downs’ performed per day. This wine spent 20 months maturing in two seasoned 225L and one 500L French oak barrels before being bottled by hand and only 1148 bottles and 50 magnums were produced.