Syrah 'SCHIST - Roundstone'

Score

93

"Not yet released, the black-fruited 2017 Schist Syrah is compact and dense with notes of blackberry, dark cherry and dusty spiced plum with a complex structure and tight, rocky core. In its youth, the wine is bold and elegant with a chewy tannic line through the mid-palate, ending with a long, textural finish and dense tannic grip that will loosen in time. This wine is as focused as it is delicious. Make no mistake, this is world-class Syrah that has power, longevity and finesse."

Score

93

"The 2017 Schist Syrah has a much more outgoing bouquet compared to its Granite counterpart, offering ebullient dark cherry, boysenberry and Provençal herb aromas; fennel and star anise emerge with time in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, a liberal sprinkling of cracked black pepper and a feisty, open-knit finish. Just thoroughly pleasurable."

Score

93

"Ripe and still a bit compact, with a core of plum paste and raspberry preserve notes still coiled up. Lots of mouthwatering anise, apple wood and tobacco elements are milling around, giving this cut and energy. Just needs time to unfurl fully. Best from 2022 through 2026. 775 cases made, 25 cases imported."

Score

93

"The 2016 Schist Syrah Roundstone has a more feminine, nuanced bouquet than the 2015, with darker berry fruit and white pepper and clove emerging with time. The focused palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannin. The 100% whole bunches lend real mineralité and je ne sais quoi on the finish. This is one of the most impressive of recent releases."

Score

96

"Andrea and Chris Mullineux have been exploring Swartland’s varied soils since they settled in Riebeek Kasteel in 2007. Their explorations have led to an array of single-parcel wines, like this one, off a parcel of 17-year-old vines rooted in shale and schist on the Kasteelberg. The 2016, foot-stomped as whole bunches in open-topped barrels and fermented with ambient yeasts, spent four weeks on the skins before it was pressed and racked into barrels, where it rested 21 months. There’s not a hint of wood in the wine: It’s all pure raspberry flavor, spicy and rich, complemented by fine-grit tannins that give it heft and substance. Notes of herbs, earth and tapenade suggest parallels to the Rhône, though it radiates a different sort of warmth. While it’s elegant and restrained, a pleasure to drink now, it has the structure to hold it for another 15 years."

Score

92

"Fleshy in feel, with layers of cassis, blackberry puree and warmed plum gliding over each other, picking up light mesquite, tobacco and savory accents on the finish. Approachable, but should gain some more nuance in the cellar. Drink now through 2025. 434 cases made, 30 cases imported."

Score

92

"The 2015 Schist Syrah Roundstone has a raspberry and mulberry bouquet, touches of rose petal and sous-bois emerging with time. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit, quite saline, and almost briny in the mouth. The grippy finish suggests it will require another couple of years in bottle."

Score

93

"A single parcel of sustainably farmed Syrah vines has produced a mighty expression of the variety. Creamy, peppery red and black fruits showcase density on the palate, backed up by a berry-like acidity. There is ripeness and vibrancy here, but it remains balanced and elegant. 12 months in 25% new 500 litre French oak barrels, nine months in second fill foudres, and 10 months in bottle, unfined and unfiltered."

Score

95