Our discovery of the year: Brunia White and Syrah 2019
Our discovery of the year: Brunia White and Syrah 2019
Brunia
Our discovery of the year: Brunia White and Syrah 2019
The Brunia Syrah 2019 has joined the ranks of the finest Syrahs in the country. If you’re a fan of Boschkloof Epilogue, Van Loggerenberg The Graft, Porseleinberg, Mullineux Granite, and Rall Ava Syrah, this wine is a must. The nose is pure Northern Rhône, with meat spice, blood orange and white pepper, while the palate is savoury with deep, impressive tannins – the acidity citric and fresh.
The Sondagskloof Valley, outside Stanford, is fast becoming a new hotspot for great wines. Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc do particularly well here, as the Brunia White 2019 attests. A classic Bordeaux white in style, it offers white fruit and fynbos notes and has a chiselled acidity that promises a decade or more of evolution. Sophisticated, poised and elegant.
Cold Mountain Vineyards was acquired by the Sander Family in September 2016. Their mantra is: outstanding wines require exceptional grapes.The cool-climate Sondagskloof Valley is perfect for the slow ripening of fruit, and the farm has been converted at much labour and cost to apply organic and biodynamic practices.
The Brunia Syrah 2019 is from a 13-year-old single vineyard in decomposed granite, organically farmed then partially destemmed and raised in old French oak. The Sauvignon Blanc for the Brunia White 2019 is from a 14-year-old parcel and the Sémillon from a 12-year-old parcel, both also from granitic soils and matured in old oak for 12 months.
Kudos to Brett (agroecologist) and Wade Sander (previously an associate winemaker at Mullineux)! They have produced phenomenal wines, fulfilling the potential that past vintages have hinted at. Both wines are produced in small volumes.
