Under the custodianship of Boekenhoutskloof, the original Syrah vineyard (planted in 1997) provides the foundation of what is now Porseleinberg. Opting for selection massale, successive plantings have established the younger blocks on the property. Despite portions of the vineyard being lost to a fire, successful interplanting took place between 2015 and 2018. The nucleus of the wine remains focussed on the mother block and her survivor vines.

The vineyards face between north-northwest and west-northwest, receiving high afternoon solar radiation for optimum ripening. Slopes ranging from 9 to 22% (6.8 – 12.7°) allow the vineyards to cool effectively at sundown, aided by the prevailing northwesterly winds. The soils are predominantly schist, rich in feldspar, mica and quartz, with shale and mudstone occurring lower down the slope.

The first autumn rains arrived shortly after the 2023 harvest, setting the tone for a favourable winter ahead. Good rainfall through the winter months and into September replenished soil moisture and provided sufficient cold units for dormancy.

The latter part of the growing season was notably dry. However, the reserves accumulated during the wet winter allowed the vines to withstand the conditions well. The dry finish accelerated ripening, resulting in one of our earliest harvests of the past decade. Despite the early vintage, crop levels remained healthy, producing a generous yield with excellent fruit concentration.

The organically grown fruit was traditionally vinified and spontaneously fermented in concrete tanks using the submerged cap method, with predominantly whole clusters and approximately 10% destemmed fruit. The wine matured for twelve months, with 90% in foudre and 10% in concrete eggs, before being bottled in June 2025.

ANALYSIS: Alc 14.26% | R.S. 2.4g/l | pH 4.06 | T.A. 5.7g/l

2024 is a classic Porseleinberg vintage. Rich and concentrated, it combines depth with freshness, while fine-grained tannins provide structure and persistence.