Highlights: Rall Syrah 2024 Swartland, South Africa
Donavan Rall’s wines have impressed me since I first tasted them 15 years ago. This Syrah is just beautiful.
Rall Syrah 2024 Swartland, South Africa
13% alcohol. Aged in concrete. This is quite beautiful. Floral aromatics with a slight stony edge to the sweet black cherry and berry fruits. There’s a hint of green sappiness, but also some charcoal and wood smoke. Beguiling. The palate is fresh and supple with sweet, alluring black cherry fruit, a hint of savoury olive tapenade, and also a bit of black pepper. There’s some subtle bloodiness, and a slight saltiness on the finish. Very Crozes-Hermitage from the flat lands in style, and deeply satisfying and delicious. The florals are probably more Côte-Rôtie: it’s very hard not to draw a northern Rhône parallel here. I bought two bottles, and my regret is not buying more. 95/100 (I bought this from The Wine Society in the UK)
