Keermont Topside Syrah 2019

Learn More About This Wine

The Keermont Single Vineyard Series was created to highlight the superb quality and individual character of the wines produced from specific vineyard parcels on the farm. These parcels have been registered as Single Vineyards with South African Wine Industry Information & Systems NPC (SAWIS) and wines labelled as such may not contain grapes from any other vineyards. The production of each wine is therefore very limited. Keermont does not bottle these wines every year. 

The Topside Syrah vineyard is situated high up on the West Facing midslopes of the Stellenbosch Mountain range (Elevation 350m). It was planted in 2006 on rocky soils consisting of sandstone and granite, weathered from the peaks above. VInes are unirrigated, trellised and run with the contour in a North South direction. THe elevation, soil and aspect all contribute to spicy character, racy acidity, and fine-grained tannin structure of this wine. The West facing position on the mountain means that the vineyard only receives direct sunlight later in the morning than a lot of the other vineyards. The soil is therefore cool in the early morning, warming up with the later afternoon sun. Topside vineyard sits on a terrace completely surrounded by pristine mountain fynbos and proteas, with views west to Table Mountain that are simply breathtaking. 

The 2019 vintage was quite a challenging one at Keermont. The yields were very small, but the wines have turned out beautifully. Coming off the back of four very dry years in the Cape, the vines were taking a bit strain. Winter rainfall was just slightly below average. Winter temperatures were moderate and perhaps not cold enough for the vines to break dormancy properly as they experienced quite uneven budding in spring. Spring started off cool and wet so the vines grew well, although  the disease pressure was quite high. From that point onwards, the vintage conditions were good with some summer rains and warm temperatures without any major heat spikes. Harvest started on 30 January, but was interrupted by 40mm of rain the following week. This pepper the vines up for the final ripening. Grapes were harvested in a very healthy condition although sugar levels were generally lower and acidity varied. 

All grapes used in producing this wine come from the Topside Syrah block (1.7 ha). Small parcels of grapes are specifically selected according to ripeness, harvested by hand and vinified separately. Fermentation is carried out by yeast which occurs naturally on the grape skins and in the winery. Red wines spend three to four weeks fermenting and macerating on the skins in small open top tanks with one or two gentle ‘punch-downs’ performed per day. This wine spent 20 months maturing in seasoned 225L and 500L French oak barrels before being bottled by hand on 5 December 2019. Only 1867 bottles and 50 magnums were produced. 

Deep ruby red in colour, the Topside Syrah 2019 has dark-sweet cherries and prunes on the nose with dried herbs and sandalwood. Soft and gentle on entry, the palate is dense and firm with an earthy dryness. Ripe red fruit fills the mouth with hints of wild herbs and pepper. The tannins are firm, but supple focussing the wine into a long tight dark fruited finish. 

Tim Atkin MW – South Africa Report 2023 – 97 points 

Syrah lovers could spend a long time discussing the relative merits of Alex Starey’s single parcel Syrahs. I have a very slight preference for Topside in 2018, partly because its cooler terroir on Stellenbosch Mountain was well suited to the drought conditions of the vintage. Restrained, focused and built to age in bottle, it has sage and oregano perfume, savoury tannins, refreshing acidity and minerality and flavours of plum, raspberry, red cherry and tobacco leaf.