what about Swartland ?

We had a good overview on Swartland wines today at a trade tasting in Riebeek Castle.
Large area where historically, producers were selling their grapes to larger handling facilities such as Riebeek Cellars, and where now more and more producers decide to bottle themselves.

Unfortunatly not everyone is able to produce good wine from maiden vintage and there are really a gap between the best and the worst.

Swartland is today focuses on Rhone Blend and Syrah in particular but being a syrah specialist doesn’t put you automatically on the world map. In fact to many wines tasted were too ripe to procure any elegance and refinement.

Then a lot of wines are faulty : bret, mould, rot, unclean material….

Howether not everything is black and locomotives such as Eben Sadie and Adi Badenhorst are here to show the way. Surprisingly digest 2006 Columela from syrah and mourvedre is probably one of the best red wine around, but Sequillo is not far behind.
On the white side, Sequillo (bis) is tender and ,harmonious, whereas Roussanne shine throught the Adi Badenhorst white blend.

Another estate to watch is Mullineux with a balanced and sleek white blend aromatically on viognier side and a syrah all leather and peppery.

The last comer is Bernard Mac Coy from Roundstone and an impressive, juicy white blend of Grenache blanc and Chenin.

Endly, Three foxes 2008 from small batchs may give another approach of what Syrah can produce in this country, wonderfull !

Cheers.

Benjamin