My Kershaw Elgin Syrah 2015 is ready! Having sold out of my 2014 vintage quite a few months ago you'll be pleased to know that I was able to make a little more in 2015 - 7090 bottles to be precise, and you know that I love precision.
2015 was a standout year for Elgin with early but even bud-break in Spring, perfect flowering and shoot growth followed by a warm, dry summer with very even temperatures. I harvested picture-perfect grapes two weeks earlier than expected, with fabulous acid levels, purity of flavour and incredible textures.
After hand sorting and destemming, the grapes were open fermented and remained on skins for 3 weeks. The juice was then racked to barrel where it underwent malolactic fermentation.
I selected coopers from Burgundy and Rhône, with only French oak chosen, 45% new oak with the remainder split into 2nd and 3rd fill barrels of which 5 were 500L puncheons and the remainder 228L pièces.
So what does it taste like after all that? Heady aromas of lavender, black cherry, plum and cracked black pepper. On the palate it is already complex and savoury with dried orange peel and banana bread wrapped around a deep core of soft centered berries, exotic spice (5 spice) and melted rich dark chocolate elegantly set on powder fine tannins which have finesse and persistence.
If you want to get your hands on some you'll need to act fast as a large number of cases have already been reserved. Kershaw Elgin Syrah 2015 is R2760 for a 6 bottle case including delivery within South Africa.
To order my new Syrah or recently released Kershaw Elgin Chardonnay 2016 please email sales@richardkershawwines.co.za
If you don't, I'll keep wearing my hat!
Richard