2014 Porseleinberg
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Tasting notes
The 2014 was one of the more open vintages in the line-up, from a particularly wet year and late harvest. The nose entices with an earthiness, a dusting of cocoa, deep red cherry and chocolate-covered strawberries. There’s a juicy purity to the palate with a chalky grip and savoury, smoky edge to the long finish. Aged for 12 months in 100% foudre.
Critic scores
Average Score
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Neal Martin, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
The 2014 Porseleinberg was matured only in wooden foudres as the eggs were still filled with the previous vintage. It was the wettest vintage ever (636mm compared to 450mm average) that caused widespread downy mildew, plus Louw dusted the vines with sulphur, which was a mistake in retrospect as it was just too cool and damp, and it never offered protection. Despite all this, it was the biggest volume ever at eight tonnes. It has an intriguing bouquet, mainly red fruit mixed with incense, sandalwood and brown spices. There's a touch of dark chocolate in the background. The palate is medium-bodied with a rounded texture and a fine bead of acidity. Mocha and leather hints infuse the red fruit with a touch of spice on the velvety finish. Fully mature now, I am sure it will age, but in this vertical, this is the one vintage that seems to have lost something since bottling.
100% Syrah. On the back of the wettest winter in a long time, 636 mm (annual) compared with 450 mm average (with the bulk falling in winter, June–August). The 2014 vintage was a farming nightmare, lots of downy mildew, which resulted in significant crop loss. Winemaker Callie Louw: ‘I also stupidly used a dust instead of liquid but [it] was too cool to be activated.’ Younger vines were worst affected. Very cool ripening conditions led to the latest pick thus far: picking started second week of February. As a result of the very wet winter the bunches and berries were much bigger than in other years. Grapes were hand-picked and transferred as whole bunches to concrete tanks. The very big grapes in bunches were foot-stomped, after which natural fermentation took place. During the ferment two pumpovers were done per day until the fermentation was complete. The wine was pressed off to two foudres. Maturation took place over 12 months, all in foudre. (Eggs were full of 2013.) Bottling was done early March 2015. TA 5.4 g/l, pH 3.7, RS 2.6 g/l. Bright dark crimson. Marked more by acid than tannin for freshness. Attractive saltiness. Lively and racy and already a fine drink. Long. (JR)
Porseleinberg's 2014 Syrah has a very pure bouquet of blackberry, briary, hints of crushed violet and iris all with wonderful delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannin. Compared to other vintages that I have tasted, this 2014 feels quite structured and perhaps a little more masculine than previous vintages, the schistous terroir expressive towards the mineral-driven finish. It constitutes one of the most intellectual wines from Porseleinberg that I have tasted, maybe less opulent than previous vintages, yet with great complexity and breeding
About the producer
Porseleinberg is a single-site Syrah from the Swartland that has, since its first vintage in 2010, become one of South Africa’s most celebrated and sought-after wines. Made by cult winemaker Callie Louw from incredibly poor soils on the slopes of the Porseleinberg, the wine is rightfully revered.